Axel's Fables
by FreeKiwi
Summary: "You know what, Axel? If you can write a book and get it published, I'll marry you." It's too bad he didn't think the deal through. It's too bad he never thought Axel would rework Aesop's fables. It's too bad Axel is a fable-writing god. -AxelxRoxas-
1. The Origin of his Fables

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Chapter story.  
Well, a short chapter story. Don't expect a twenty-something chapter story. You can expect long chapters, but just not many of them.  
AxelxRoxas centric, but it's not limited to just them. I'm going to try and incorporate Demyx, Marluxia, etc. because I should probably expand my horizons a bit.  
This story kind of pokes fun at fairy tales and fables and the stereotypes that seem to plague stories. But you probably already knew that because it's about Axel reworking Aesop's Fables.

**I'm sure this will turn smutty at some point.  
Actually, I know this will turn smutty at some point.  
Forewarned.**

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him provided he gets a book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**I – The Origin of his Fables**

Once there was a dreamer who was absolutely full of himself. A combination that worked to his advantage in most scenarios provided he kept the sarcasm and teasing to a minimum. He was a tall, handsome boy with natural red locks and he was a heartbreaking troublemaker who held a certain je ne sais quoi that allowed him to escape punishment many times. Axel was a god in human's clothing. He believed himself to be a gift to all people and everyone absolutely loved him despite his conceited arrogance. The question was never 'why don't you like Axel?' it was always 'you don't _like _Axel?' and then a rapid list of reasons as to why the redhead was completely likeable.

But there were always haters. And like in all stories the haters were the kind of important set of people that _have _to like the hero or the story won't continue and the happy ending can't be achieved. Like in all stories the haters hated the hero exactly for the reasons people loved him and like in all stories someone in the group of haters was also the love interest.

The haters were a set of quadruplets who were generally referred to as the Badcock Quadruplets because they usually traveled in a set pack. It was odd to see one of the quadruplets on their own and if they weren't all together, it was Sora and Roxas or Kairi and Naminé and it had been like that since the first grade. They interacted with other people, but they interacted as a set. If you knew one quadruplet, you knew them all. When it was time to go away for college the quadruplets all applied to the same school and they were all accepted.

Roxas and Sora lived in a duplex near campus. Their sisters, Kairi and Naminé, had opted for on-campus housing in the dorms to avoid paying rent and while the boys had weathered through their first year all right, they realized they had to rent out the upper part of the duplex if they wanted to keep it.

And Naminé and Kairi wanted nothing to do with their duplex.

The story really begins with a phone call. Axel's fables, the bet for Roxas's hand in marriage, the indecent exposures, multiple arrests, and life lessons all started after the redhead found the ad for the duplex on a bulletin board and decided to give the number a call.

•••••••••••••••

"Wow," Axel stood in the foyer of the duplex and craned his neck this way and that way to get a better look at the place. "How do you guys afford this place?"

"Is that any of your business?" the youngest quadruplet – and he was the youngest because he came out four minutes apart from the rest of his siblings – grumbled.

"Obviously we can't," the second quadruplet frowned, "that's why we need someone to move in upstairs."

"Far be it from me to question fate," Axel shrugged his shoulders and made his way up the stairs. Roxas, the youngest, and Sora followed right behind him. They were always right on top of each other and they often made social situations very awkward for themselves. But what did anyone expect? They had literally spent their whole lives together and now they were back to sharing a room provided someone moved in upstairs.

Sora worked the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door upstairs, "you can look around if you want. The rent is a thousand a month plus utilities. You pay five hundred and we pay five hundred… There are two rooms up here so you can have a roommate if you want."

"Wow," Axel looked around the upper part of the duplex with interest. It was way nicer than where he and Riku were currently living. They were slumming it on Line Street and their apartment building was presently condemned. They were in the process of moving their things out but that was the problem with having nowhere to live. They had nowhere to move their things.

"How soon can we move in?" the redhead called from inside. Roxas and Sora were being introverts and were standing next to each other outside the door.

"Uh, we have to discuss whether or not we _actually_ want you living with us," Roxas looked completely indignant and the look only worsened when his quadruplet elbowed his ribs and gave him a look.

"Stop, Roxy," Sora whispered, "we need a roommate. Beggars can't be choosers."

"Bullshit," Roxas whispered back, "I can't stand him. And neither can you! You know what he's like. You know how –"

"Look, I'll leave in a moment," Axel leaned against the doorway, brow raised at the two boys. "So, you know, you guys can speak freely," he mumbled sarcastically, "but if we can't move in today then we have to find somewhere else."

"Who's 'we'?"

Sora elbowed his twin in the ribs again, "You guys can move in today. There's a kitchen downstairs, but your bathroom is up here and you can use our washer and dryer for your laundry."

"Excellent," Axel leaned off the doorframe, "pleasure doing business," his eyes lingered on Roxas momentarily, "I'll be back in a few hours with Riku, he's my roommate, and we'll start moving our shit in."

"Wait," the redhead had begun walking down the stairs and Sora was right on his heels, "Riku? Riku Cheseborough?"

"Cheeseburger? Yea," Axel shrugged and glanced over his shoulder at the quadruplet as he opened the front door. "Why?"

"Oh," the brunet shrugged, "I just knew him from high school."

"Well hot damn," Axel smiled, "it's like a high school reunion then."

Roxas mumbled something like "except with ugly people" under his breath and earned another elbow in the ribcage from his brother.

"I'll be back later, Crotchfelt boys."

And before either boy could correct the redhead on their last name, he was out the door and climbing onto his bicycle. He didn't have a car anymore. Not since he had his license suspended for doing sixty in a twenty-five.

"You know," Roxas glared, "this isn't good for you either. You recall what happened between you and Cheeseburger, right?"

"Cheseborough," Sora corrected. A red flare had ignited itself in his cheeks, "and yes, I remember, but it was almost four years ago. I doubt he remembers."

"Doubt he remembers? Really?" Roxas pushed, "you think he won't remember?" arms crossed defensively over his chest. It was clear he didn't want Axel living with them and he was attempting to use Riku as a deterrent for his brother.

"It's not the end of the world," Sora reassured him, "besides, if I've forgiven _you_, I think I can forgive him."

Roxas ignored the guilt that washed over him and he didn't mention his displeasure about Axel moving in for the rest of the day.

•••••••••••••••

"It's free to look, but it'll cost you if you wanna touch."

Roxas jerked his head away from Axel and pretended to be inspecting something along the stairway. He didn't say anything to the redhead, but his cheeks burned when he heard the older boy snicker. It was hot out and Riku and Axel were both shirtless and lugging their things up the stairs. Sora had conveniently realized they needed groceries when Riku's car pulled up into the driveway and he had taken off and left Roxas to play the part of the landlord.

"Hey, Roxas," Riku was coming down the steps behind his roommate, "is Sora around?" he had dropped his voice to a near whisper.

"No," the blond said sourly, "what's it to you anyway?"

"I see you're just as charming as always…" he mumbled sarcastically. He ignored the rebuttal the quadruplet offered and followed the redhead outside to grab more of their things.

It didn't take long for them to move in. They had little furniture and even less stuff because they had been living in a much smaller place. They had a couch, a television, their beds and bedroom things, and a pool table they had purchased for cheap at a Good Will during their freshman year of college. Axel considered it luck that the kitchen was downstairs because they didn't own a proper table or proper chairs or a fridge. He was also grateful to finally have a washer and dryer to use for free. Feeding ten dollars worth of quarters into a machine that often ate his money at the Laundr-O-Mat had become considerably awful.

"You know what we need?" Axel eyed the living area of the upper part of the duplex and stroked his chin thoughtfully, "we need a strobe light. Or a disco ball. Or a disco ball that functions as a strobe light."

Riku gave the redhead a look, "Yea, and maybe we can purchase some bellbottoms that are made out of ecstasy tablets."

"See?" Axel slung an arm around his roommate's shoulders, "now you're thinking out of the box."

Riku rolled his eyes and walked over to the pool table they had positioned behind the couch. The living area was long and wide and the wood flooring made it ideal for parties. The upper part of the duplex wasn't as open as the bottom and it gave the area a cozy feeling. It reminded Axel of a hamster's cage because the living room had archways that lead off into other rooms, like tunnels. One the right side of the duplex there were two doors for each of their bedrooms and on the left side there was a doorway that lead to a large balcony that overlooked much of campus.

"We should invest in a hammock," Riku grabbed a pool stick and examined it, "and you're right. We should invest in some kind of light, but not a strobe light or a disco ball."

There were overhead lights, but their area of the duplex was looking very spacious and it needed filling. Their couch sat in the center of the living room with their pool table a few feet behind it and their television sat next to the door that lead to the stairs and foyer.

Axel shrugged and threw himself down on the couch, "It's only July. I'll just drive to my house before September and get some of my shit from home."

"You'll drive?" Riku set the pool balls on the table, "with your imaginary car and your non-suspended license?"

Axel made a sound, "Okay, fine. Will you PLEASE drive me to my house so we can work on making this place not boring?"

"Oh, is that what you meant?" Riku teased as he lined up the cue ball, "by 'I'll drive' you meant 'Riku will drive,'" he smirked and took a shot, "sorry. I guess I misunderstood."

"Look, will you drive me or not?" Axel sat up on the couch and gave his roommate a look.

"Would if I could," he lined up his stick with the cue ball, "but I have to work. Ask Sora or Roxas. One of them drives a pick-up. It'd be better for moving anyway."

Axel gave Riku the most indignant look he could muster. His jaw slackened the slightest bit and he looked absolutely put out. Obviously his roommate was unaware of the apparent hatred the quadruplets seemed to have for Axel. He hadn't known any of them very well in high school, but he had obviously done something to piss them off. God knows what though – Axel knew himself and he knew it could've been anything from pleasant teasing to lewd suggestions that they should all star in a porno together.

"Okay, I'll bite," Riku sighed and leaned against his pool stick. "What's the look for?"

"Cheeseburger –"

"Cheseborough!" he glared, "say it with me! Chehs Ber-oh," the words were spoken very slowly. "C-H-E-S –"

"Cheeseburger," Axel ignored his roommate, "neither of them like me."

"Oh, please…" Riku hung his pool stick up on the wall, "everyone loves you."

"I know," the redhead stood up and the indignant look only increased. "But I don't think we'd even be living here if they hadn't needed someone to move in like… ASAP."

"Just go ask," Riku insisted, "I'm sure one of them will drive you."

"I don't –"

"Just ask," his roommate pushed, "you don't know until you ask."

"But I don't think –"

"'Don't make much ado about nothing,'" Riku placed his hands on Axel's shoulders, "you don't know until you ask."

"Thanks, Aesop," the redhead rolled his eyes, "anything else?"

"Yea," Riku smirked, "'we can easily represent things as we wish them to be.'"

Axel didn't think so. Aesop was a dope anyway.

And so it went.

Axel and Riku had lived in the upper story of the duplex for nearly a month and a half without much interaction with the two quadruplets. It was never said but it was well understood that Sora and Riku were doing their best to avoid each other. As far as Axel knew the two had yet to talk and when he questioned his roommate as to why, Riku would shrug and say "I don't know. He's weird" and that would be the end of the conversation.

Roxas was a different story. It seemed that any time was a bad time for Roxas and Axel learned this very quickly. If he was too loud in the kitchen, the blond complained. If he was too loud coming down the stairs, the blond complained. If he was breathing too loudly, the blond would complain. He complained for the sake of complaining and he complained to make himself irritable.

And the more irritable Roxas became, the more irresistible Axel found him. He supposed that made him some kind of masochist, but he also factored in the idea of wanting something he obviously couldn't have. Things _always_ appeared thirteen times more appealing when they were out of reach and Roxas was no different. The more he pushed the redhead away, the more the redhead wanted him.

One morning Riku woke up early and left the duplex before anyone was even awake. He worked at a bakery that opened up at seven and he usually had to go into work around four or five in the morning. He didn't mind getting up. He was working toward his Masters in culinary arts with a minor in business. After graduation he planned to open up his own bakery or restaurant, but for now he was just an apprentice.

Axel, on the other hand, worked odd jobs that he never gave full, or even half, a description for. But he was paid exceptionally well and his roommate often wondered what, exactly, the redhead was up too. Sometimes he came back smelling like cologne and wearing a suit and other times he came back totally drunk counting a wad of cash in his hand.

Riku liked to think it wasn't prostitution but he couldn't be sure.

On this particular morning Axel had managed to gather his courage to ask for a ride to his house. He and Riku were becoming very sick of pool and summer reruns on television didn't catch their attention. They wanted to party – they wanted to party in their portion of the duplex – but there simply wasn't enough to do to keep people entertained. If they didn't distract people with four hours of a repeated bass line and a Wii, everyone would just get completely shitfaced and Riku and Axel would spend the next two days scrubbing vomit off the floor and the next four days finding it in places like the air ducts or under their beds.

"Roxas?"

"Sora," the brunet was rooting through the fridge and labeling the items that belonged to him and his brother. He was also taking inventory of each item and this was not uncommon. Sora _always_ took inventory of the perishable items he purchased.

"Where's Roxas?" Axel rubbed his eyes. It was noon and he had just bothered to roll out of bed. His red hair looked absolutely wild and he was sporting nothing but a bear of black boxers that had flames around the crotch. "I have to ask him something," he yawned and then eyed Sora charily, "what are you doing?"

"Labeling," the brunet wrote "BADCOCK" across a gallon of milk, "just so you guys know what belongs to us," he marked something on a piece of paper, "and feel free to help yourself, but you _have_ to replace what you take."

Axel stared with his mouth slightly opened, "wait, what? What if I drink like… a quarter glass of milk?"

"Then I guess you'll have to replace it with a quarter glass of milk."

Axel stared, "What? You _can't_ replace a quarter glass of milk. They only sell them in half gallons or gallons."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you," Sora huffed, "I guess you just won't be partaking in the food that belongs to Roxas and I," he said irritably.

The redhead sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was way too early for this. Sure, yea, he and Riku had had multiple arguments regarding food consumption, but neither of them had really cared enough to label what was their own. Eventually they just paid for half of the groceries every time someone went to the store.

"Look, where's Roxas at?" Axel rubbed his face, "I need to ask him a question."

"He's sleeping," Sora's brow was lined and he looked thoroughly harassed, "just go through the living room and take the door on the left."

The redhead ambled out of the kitchen and toward the main bedroom. The downstairs portion of the duplex was absolutely gorgeous and Axel knew it had something to do with Sora and Roxas. They had taste and he got the impression they came from a well-off family. There was a very beautiful area rug that was placed in the center of their living room and their furniture was all dark, pretty wood. There were actual paintings on the walls and they only seemed to add to the tallness of the ceilings in the bottom portion of the duplex.

The high ceilings made sense, Axel supposed, because the upper part of the duplex wasn't sat directly on top of the bottom part, hence the balcony on the upper floor. He liked the tall ceilings in the living room though. Definitely something he'd have in his own house one day.

"Hey, Roxas?" Axel knocked on the door and when he didn't get a response, he poked his head in. The youngest quadruplet was tangled in his sheets and the sun was pouring in through a large window that was set over his bed. He looked cute, the redhead mused, drooling and snoring a little but cute nonetheless.

"Hey, Roxy," he walked across the hardwood floor and admired how pretty the room was. It also sported the same high ceilings and along the wall were three or four built-in shelves that were filled with books. In the corner, Axel noted a guitar and wondered if either quadruplet actually played. He didn't know their majors. He barely knew their names.

"Roxas," he reached out and shook the blonde's shoulder, "hey, I got a question."

He grumbled and yanked the sheet over his head, "Too early," he paused, "and you _have_ a question. You don't 'got' a question, you _have_ one."

Axel rolled his eyes, "fine, whatever, I _have_ a question," he shook the blond with both hands like a child would do in order to coax their parent out of bed, "come on. It's noon. And I would just ask Sora for the favor but he's already pissed off about something."

"It's because you're in our direct vicinity," Roxas growled from under the sheets, "we're much more pleasant when you're not around."

The redhead narrowed his eyes and mumbled, "Yea, and I'm invisible when no one's looking…"

"I heard that," Roxas threw the sheet off himself and looked up at Axel, "God – _what_? What do you want?"

"Whose pick-up truck is that in your driveway?"

"Mine," the blond sat up and rubbed his eyes, "why?"

"I need a favor…"

"No," Roxas slipped out of bed and began making it, "you can't borrow it, you can't drive it, you can't sit in it, you can't listen to music in it, you can't look at it, you can't touch it – do I need to go on?" the blond tossed the pillows onto the floor and pulled the sheet up and tucked the sides under the mattress.

"Nah," Axel watched the blond, "but will you drive me somewhere?"

The blond sighed loudly, "Why can't you drive yourself?"

"Suspended license," he shrugged.

"Big surprise," Roxas mumbled, "why can't stupid Riku take you?"

"I don't know anyone named Stupid Riku," Axel glared coldly at Roxas, "I know a _Riku_, but not a Stupid Riku."

"Axel," the blond tossed the pillows back onto his bed. He was clearly agitated, "If I drive you, will you promise to just leave me alone?"

"Yea," the redhead perked up, "Just a two hour drive to my house and back and I'll leave you alone for as long as you want."

Some of the color drained from Roxas's face and he narrowed his eyes at Axel, "_Four hours_ in a car with you? God, being crushed to death sounds kinder than that…"

The redhead walked over to the blond and slung an arm over his shoulders, "Careful what you say, Roxy. God forbid your upstairs tenants "accidentally" drop a cement block on you."

•••••••••••••••

"So why are we going to your house?" Roxas pulled on a pair of well-fitted jeans and brushed his hair into less of a mess with his hand.

"Pick stuff up," Axel was eating sea salt ice cream. He had rooted through the fridge once Sora had left the duplex and he had found a box of sea salt pops marked with Riku's last name. They would really need to go shopping before the day ended. They were either going to starve or have to figure out ways to replace measurements of food that just didn't exist.

"Oh," Roxas laced up his shoe, "because you don't have enough shit upstairs to annoy the piss out of me? I'm so tired of hearing pool balls clacking…" he hunted through his dresser drawer for a shirt. He could feel Axel's eyes on him, but he was doing his best to ignore the redhead. "And what the fuck do you guys do up there? It sounds like you're always stomping around and slamming doors."

"Oh," Axel stretched his arms above his head and a smirk grew on his face, "sorry about that. That's just Riku and me having sex."

Roxas yanked a shirt from the drawer and hurriedly threw it over his head. He didn't respond and he pretended to examine something in his dresser drawer until the blush in his cheeks died down. He didn't know if Axel was joking, but it left him feeling uncomfortable. It was weird to think about them doing it _right above_ him seeing as how his room was right under Axel's. It was also weird to imagine the two of them together because they were… They were both dominant.

Well, Roxas knew for a _fact_ Riku was dominant. He could only infer with Axel.

"Whatever," the blond mumbled irritably.

He walked out of his bedroom with Axel right on his heels. Both boys checked their pockets for their wallets, keys, and phones, and then they walked out the front door of the duplex. Roxas locked the door behind himself and headed for his blue pick-up truck. He had received the Ford truck the day after he got his license and it had required a bit of fixing up. The blond had sunk lots of money into his car and he rightfully babied it.

Roxas opened the driver's side door of the truck and got in. It was obviously cleaned by someone very anal – possibly Sora, but Axel wouldn't rule out Roxas as a suspect – to the point where the car smelled new even though it very clearly wasn't. Axel noticed the truck bed didn't even have _dirt_ or any kind of garbage in it and he wasn't sure if he wanted to smile or question which quadruplet was the obsessive-compulsive one.

"Where do you live?" keys were in the ignition and Axel buckled his seatbelt once he was in the car.

"Carmine," he watched as Roxas put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway, "you know how to get there?"

"Yea," Roxas put the car in drive, "I know how to get to your little hick-town."

Axel laughed lightly because he couldn't agree more. Carmine _was_ a little hick-town. His parents had moved there during his last year of high school and the redhead seldom went home. There was nothing wrong with his parents – aside from his dad being just like him – but he preferred living on his own. He liked to put himself and his needs first and it just wasn't possible when he lived at home.

"So…" Axel mumbled after an hour of driving in complete silence. "Tell me about yourself."

"No," Roxas opened the middle console in his truck and grabbed out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes. He took one out and lit it up. "I like to drive in silence."

"You smoke?" the redhead watched the blond carefully. He looked good smoking. It didn't make him look quite so… feminine. He looked good, though, with his lips wrapped around a cigarette. It matched him in regard to the whole "I don't care. I do whatever I want" aspect the blond seemed so delighted to share with everyone.

"No," sarcasm laced Roxas's words, "this is a trick of the eyes."

Axel sighed in an obnoxious manner. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out his window. It was a nice day outside. Too bad it was icy in the pick-up truck.

"Do you smoke?" he mumbled.

"Depends," the redhead shrugged and appreciated the fact that his duplex-mate was at least trying, "not cigarettes usually… not unless I've been drinking," he had a bad habit of bumming cigarettes off people when he was wasted. Axel never had the urge to smoke otherwise. He wasn't sure what it was about alcohol that made him crave nicotine.

"Right, so you're a drug user," Roxas pressed his cigarette to his lips and inhaled deeply.

"Yea," Axel laughed, "I'm a drug user. You caught me."

"If you don't smoke cigarettes," he exhaled, "what do you smoke?"

"Maybe I smoke a pipe," the redhead argued, "or maybe I enjoy smoking cigars."

"Do you?" the blond glanced over at the redhead. A small smile had made itself evident on his usually hardened features.

"No," Axel mumbled, "but you make me sound like I smoke crack-cocaine or something…"

Roxas laughed, "Does it matter? You're still a drug user either way."

The redhead shrugged, "I guess, but… I don't know. Pot seems a lot more harmless than cocaine. Or meth. Or opium or whatever other drugs you smoke…" he settled against his seat and his green eyes watched Roxas very carefully. He was quite attractive in Axel's opinion. His personality was off-putting, but he definitely had genetics on his side. So did his brother. Axel was willing to bet his sisters were both really good looking too.

He finished his cigarette and tossed the end out the window. Tongue came out to wet his lips and he gripped the steering wheel with one hand. The road was mostly clear. It had only been an hour and twenty minutes and they were almost to Carmine.

"So why don't you like me?" Axel mused.

"What's there to like?" Roxas was completely expressionless. He stared straight ahead at the road and every now and then he would glance at the clock to see what time it was.

"I'm gorgeous," he thought for a moment, "and I throw killer parties. I'm super charismatic and I'm witty and I'm fun. And I don't make people feel badly about themselves because their lives suck. I don't get jealous. And I'm not hateful. Not like you and your brother."

Axel figured a snarky question deserved a snarky answer. He was offended by Roxas's answer because it wasn't a real answer. It was just rude and the redhead found that Roxas was pushing his buttons a little bit and he didn't like it. He was wild like fire – didn't his duplex-mate get that? He didn't _have_ to control himself. People got hurt when they played with fire after all.

"Okay, see…" Roxas shook his head, "you're a pompous douche bag who thinks way too much of himself. You walk around like you're some kind of gift to mankind when you're really just another obnoxious college kid who thinks he's got the whole world figured out," the blond glared at nothing in particular, "when you don't. At all. You don't have shit figured out because you don't think beyond the next three hours of your life. You waste your time surrounding yourself with people who probably don't even really like you but put up with you because you throw cool parties and you'll provide them with drugs and alcohol. You're actually super alone in this world and the only good friend you'll ever have will end up hating you because you'll turn suspicious and think that he's somehow out to get you. You attempt to self-medicate and fill the loneliness you feel with sex and you'll probably wind up dead and alone when you try to sexually asphyxiate yourself on your fortieth-something birthday in a shitty hotel room in Carmine."

Axel stared, jaw slackened, and he didn't say anything. Roxas had the exact same expressionless look, minus the slight glint of a glare in his blue eyes, and he stared straight ahead at the road. They passed a sign for Carmine and neither of them said anything. Axel couldn't compose himself and Roxas didn't appear to have anything more to say.

"Fine," the redhead finally said after seven or eight minutes of silence, "I'm sorry you feel that way…" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window.

Roxas's brow furrowed, "you're _sorry_ I _feel_ that way? Really?" he looked annoyed, "you don't care that that's what I think about you? You're not even disturbed that I might have you all figured out?"

Axel shrugged, "I guess I'm just comfortable enough with myself to not care. Besides," he put his feet on the dash and smirked at the irritable look on his duplex-mate's face, "now it's a challenge. Now I have to prove you wrong."

That, and make Roxas his. Wasn't it obvious?

Roxas absolutely loved him.

•••••••••••••••

Axel stretched as he hopped out of the pick-up truck. The rest of the ride had been in complete silence minus the redhead's occasional "your face might get stuck like that" comment whenever the blond was making a particularly ugly face. They got along well, Axel thought, and at least now they were talking.

"Most of my shit is in the garage," he walked over to the keypad on the garage door and punched in the code. The door slowly opened and Roxas sighed gently when he saw the piles and piles of packed boxes. How much shit did Axel have? His parents' house wasn't exactly huge. It was probably slightly bigger than their duplex.

"I just need boxes fifty through sixty-two..." the redhead stepped into the garage and began to search. "And then we need to bring that," he pointed to a coffee table, "and then we can go."

Roxas shrugged his shoulders, "Where are your parents?" he grabbed box number fifty-four from the floor of the garage, "found out you were coming and ran for the hills?"

Axel laughed, "nah. They're on a cruise in the Bahamas." He grabbed box sixty from a tall stack of boxes and walked it over to the bed of the truck with Roxas, "it was a present for my mom and dad's birthdays. I went half in with my brother for it…"

"Ugh," Roxas set the box down and slid it toward the back of the truck bed, "there's someone else like you who's walking around?"

Axel ruffled his duplex-mate's hair and thoroughly annoyed the spastic movements Roxas made in response to being touched. "Unfortunately," he walked back toward the garage, "but you know… I think you'd like my brother a lot more than you like me."

"Why is that?" Roxas followed, "is he a mute?" they went on each side of the coffee table and lifted it. It wasn't particularly heavy, but it was round in shape and therefore slightly awkward.

"No," Axel walked it toward the truck, "but you two have something in common…"

"What's that?" they flipped the coffee table onto its top and slid it into the truck bed.

"You both hate my guts."

They gathered the rest of the boxes from the garage and loaded up Roxas's truck. By the time they finished they had both taken off their shirts and were sweaty from the labor. It was four in the afternoon by the time they climbed back into the truck and pulled out of Axel's driveway. He would've shown his duplex-mate his room if he had one. His parents had taken his going away to school as him moving out forever.

"You hungry?" Axel wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I guess…" Roxas had the window rolled down and was reaching for his cigarettes, "why? Did you want to get something to eat?"

The redhead held back from saying something sarcastic, "Yea," he slid down against his seat slightly. It was really hot out and he was sure he had the beginnings of sunburn on his back. "What are you in the mood for?"

Roxas had lit up a cigarette and was inhaling it deeply. He blew out the smoke through his nose and didn't answer for a while. He didn't know. He never really had an opinion one way or the other because Sora usually decided something or Naminé and Kairi would show up with dinner. Besides, wasn't food just food?

"You're such a zombie," Axel mumbled, "maybe try showing some emotion. Even when you grilled me about how shitty I am you were pretty expressionless."

Roxas shrugged, "I guess."

"Come on, Crotchfelt, what do you feel like eating?" he pushed.

"Why do you keep calling me Crotchfelt?" his brow furrowed. "My last name is Badcock."

"Like that's so much better?"

Well, Roxas thought so but maybe not. He took a puff of his cigarette and he glanced over at the redhead. He had a nice set of abdominal muscles on him and his chest was nicely toned. Axel wasn't ugly, Roxas would admit, but he just wasn't attractive to the blond. Eyes lowered toward the redhead's crotch and he noted that his happy trail was the same red color as his hair.

"Do you dye it?"

"Do what?" Axel arched a brow.

"You're hair. Do you dye it?"

"No," Axel ran a hand through his red locks, "why?"

"Your happy trail is the same color. So I guess your pubes are too?"

"Why don't you find out, zombie?" he teased lightly.

"No thanks," he placed the cigarette between his lips, "firecrotches _really_ turn me off."

•••••••••••••••

They eventually stopped at a truck stop diner about an hour from the duplex. Axel had his shirt slung over his shoulder and every now and then he caught Roxas's eyes lingering just a _little_ too long. He caught those blue eyes staring at his happy trail and whether firecrotches turned him off or not, Axel couldn't help but smirk every time his duplex-mate eyed the red-colored hair under his belly button.

"Do you have to wear your pants that low?" Roxas grumbled as he yanked his shirt back over his body. His pants went up to his belly button and while he did own hip-hugging jeans he didn't often wear them. Not unless he was really trying to get someone's attention and more often than not, Roxas was just trying to be blend in.

"Does it turn you on?" Axel teased.

"It makes me want to vomit and then rub the vomit in my eyes so I don't have to look."

"So you _are_ looking at me," the redhead couldn't hide the excitement behind his green eyes and when the blond said something derogatory under his breath and got out of the truck, Axel couldn't have been more pleased with himself or his antics.

They got a table fairly quick in the diner. It was mostly empty, save for a few truckers, and no one seemed to mind Axel being shirtless. He wasn't hot anymore and there really was no reason for it, but he had the feeling Roxas had some odd curiosity regarding his body hair. His hair was fire-engine red everywhere and every time the blond saw the red hair somewhere on Axel, his eyes would linger and he would stare.

"So… if you grew a beard…"

Axel laughed, "Just stop yourself there," he flipped through his menu, "you'll never see me with a beard. Or anything close to facial hair except maybe stubble…"

Roxas looked through his menu, "oh…" a frown creased his features and when the waitress came to take their drink order, they both ordered black coffee with no creamer and glasses of water.

"You ever read Aesop's fables when you were a kid?" Axel looked out the window and noticed the sun was at the very beginning stages of setting.

"Yea," he shrugged, "I never read all of them, but my mom used to read them to my brother and sisters when we were little... It was usually associated with something that had happened during the day. My mom loved throwing out Aesop's life-lessons," the blond played with his silverware, "her favorite was 'whatever you do, do with all your might.' She had a really weird love affair with those fables…"

Axel eyed the dreamy look on his duplex-mate's face.

"I don't know," Roxas leaned against his chair, "I kind of thought Aesop was a dope. Most of his life-lessons were common sense."

The redhead laughed. He couldn't agree more.

The waitress came by and delivered their drinks and took their orders. Dinner went relatively fast and they had only been in the diner a total of forty minutes before they had paid the check and left. Roxas seemed softer, somehow, less vicious than before and Axel reasoned it had something to do with the conversation they had about his mom and Aesop's fables. They walked in silence to the pick-up truck and Axel yanked his shirt over his head before they got in. It was getting cooler out now and the blond seemed to be done inspecting his body.

"Is your mom dead?" Axel buckled his seat belt and heard the rumble of the engine as Roxas put the keys into the ignition and started the car.

"Yea," he shrugged, "she died a few years ago. I didn't really give a shit about Aesop's fables until she died. But, you know…" Roxas pulled out of the parking lot and proceeded down the road, "someone dies and then you feel like maybe if you collect enough of the shit they liked or shit they owned you can fill the gap they made when they left."

Axel stared out ahead at the road. No one had ever died on him before. Not counting distant family members whom he had never met or even spoken too. His parents, his brother, and all the members of his family that he knew so well were still alive. His great-grandmother was turning 104 this fall. Axel suspected he just might live forever.

"I have all of her books," Roxas sighed, "all of those books in mine and Sora's room – those were her books. A lot of them are different versions of Aesop's fables and then there's this huge anthology of _all_ his fables," he rolled his window down but didn't pull out his cigarettes or lighter. He leaned his arm out the window and chewed his lower lip briefly.

"How did she die?" Axel rolled his own window down, "if you don't mind me asking, I mean…" he quickly added. He didn't want to have witty banter with Roxas right now. He wanted them to become friends. He liked Roxas. He actually liked him a lot. There was definitely something endearing about his deep-seated dislike for Axel and there was something cute about his zombie-like nature.

"No," he shook his head, "plane crash. They found the plane but they never found her body. She wasn't the only one. There were seven or eight people they never found."

"So she could –"

"Don't," Roxas looked at Axel critically, "it's like exposing Santa Clause as a fraud to a seven year old and then saying 'but no one knows for sure if he's real or not.' It just perpetuates a hope that will eventually come crashing down around you like a million little pieces."

The redhead looked at Roxas for a long time. He was a bit of a cynical boy. He certainly had his opinions about people and Axel doubted his opinions often changed. If anyone was arrogant here, it was Roxas. If anyone thought they understood the world, it was Roxas. He was only nineteen and already jaded.

"You're a pessimist," Axel half-teased, "anything else, Debby Downer?"

"You asked," Roxas frowned, "besides, don't you think I spent a majority of my high school time trying to figure out where she could've gone? She was my mom, Axel. I wasn't just going to give up."

The redhead shrugged, "No, I get it," he put his feet on the dash, "I get that you're jaded."

"I'm _not_ jaded," Roxas looked rather sour and Axel found this fitting and delightful.

"You are. Listen to yourself. You're nineteen and a pessimist. Have you ever even been on a date, Roxy?"

"What does that –"

"Have you?" Axel pressed.

"W-well… no, but…"

"Right, and why haven't you ever been on a date?"

Roxas was silent. He stared at the road ahead and when he reached for the middle console to get his cigarettes, Axel put his elbows on the console and refused to move. He couldn't sit there in partial silence and smoke. He couldn't just smoke away all of his problems. He couldn't take excessively long puffs on his cigarette while he tried to think of reasons to either not answer the question or deliver an untrue answer.

"Axel, move," the blond whined.

"Just tell me why you haven't ever been on a date and I will light up a cigarette for you," he was enjoying himself. He was enjoying making Roxas squirm like this.

"Because I don't like anyone," he grumbled. "There, happy?"

"That's _not_ why," Axel felt the corners of his lips pull into a smile, "do you think maybe it's because you're cynical and you think everything is doomed from the start?"

"Ugh," Roxas opened his mouth to add more, but didn't. He glared at the road ahead and then his eyes narrowed and he sighed in a very irritable manner. Lips were licked and he watched as Axel grabbed his smokes and lit up a cigarette for him. The redhead placed the white stick between his duplex-mate's lips and felt heat rise in his cheeks when his finger brushed a soft, moist lower lip.

"Why do you care?" Roxas was frowning, "what's it to you if I don't date?"

"I just think it's a waste," Axel put the cigarettes back into the middle console. He played with the flame on the lighter as he spoke, "you're grumpy and you're mean, but I bet you have nice attributes too…"

Those pretty blue eyes rolled.

"See? I don't know anyone who can roll their eyes better than you, zombie." Axel teased.

"Shut up, firecrotch…" he exhaled the smoke from his cigarette and felt a little relieved when they passed a road sign for their college campus. Only fifteen more minutes and they'd be back at the duplex.

"Go on a date with me," Axel looked at Roxas with the slightest hint of troublemaking evident in his features.

"No," Roxas laughed, "that's… not gonna happen, Axel. You're not my type."

"I'm everyone's type," he insisted.

"Yea…" he shrugged, "that's just it. I don't like that… I don't want someone that's everyone's type. I want someone that's _my_ type."

"What's _your_ type?" Axel frowned. "Do you even know?"

"Yes," Roxas said indignantly, "I do, thanks. If I was going to go for someone, I'd go for an intellectual. Maybe an English major because I'd want someone who has a way with words. And I think guys in glasses are attractive. Maybe he'd have some sideburns or something…"

"Mhm," Axel purred, a smirk on his lips, "so, in other words, the exact opposite of me?"

"Not the exact opposite," Roxas frowned and tossed his finished cigarette out the window, "but yea. Someone who is… different from you…"

"You're not even going to give me a shot?" the redhead raised an eyebrow, "I don't even get a chance to try and impress you? I mean, I'd have my work cut out for me seeing that you're practically a zombie…"

"It's just a bad idea," he sighed, "I don't want to go out on a date. Stop making me reject you…"

Axel was quiet for a long time and Roxas was uncomfortable with the situation. He didn't mind the infatuation but he didn't like having to reject Axel, especially because they lived together and had to see each other all the time. He also felt like the redhead was silently accusing him of making excuses when he wasn't. Axel really _wasn't_ his type and he would never even consider him anywhere in the realm of possibility. That boy was… too forward and too outgoing and too friendly. Roxas needed someone quiet, someone who didn't say much and someone a little more serious.

"What if we make a deal?"

Roxas sighed, "Axel…"

"No, just hear me out…" they were pulling onto their street, "will you go out with me if I can do something amazing to prove to you I'm your type?"

He sighed, "Like what? Be serious for once?"

"I don't know," he eyed Roxas, "you tell me."

They pulled into the driveway of the duplex behind Riku's car. He had gotten off work a few hours ago and brought home leftovers from the bakery. Definitely a perk of living with an aspiring chef who spent most of his time at a bakery.

"I…" Roxas turned the car off, "I don't know, Axel."

"What if I wrote a book?"

Roxas suddenly laughed because the idea sounded so absurd. Surely the redhead had to be joking. He couldn't be serious. Wasn't Axel a science major or a math major or something to that degree? It certainly didn't mean he was crap at English but the blond couldn't see him writing a book. Roxas couldn't seem him writing even half a page. He laughed for a good while and when he finally stopped he had to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm serious!" Axel yelled, "what if I wrote a book? That would prove I have a way with words and I can be serious! I can't help you with the whole glasses and sideburns thing…" he reached up to touch along his jaw line, "but I could shave my junk for you."

Roxas laughed again.

"Stop laughing!" Axel whined and shoved Roxas.

"Okay, okay…" the blond chuckled, "you know what, Axel? If you can write a book – an actual book, not a children's story or a short story, but a legit book – and you can get it published, then I'll marry you."

Axel looked at Roxas very seriously, "Really?" he breathed. There was no hint of a smirk or laughter. He was stone cold serious.

"Yea," Roxas rolled his eyes and his lips curved into a smile. "Yea. Write a book, get it published, and I'll marry you. I swear to God, I'll marry you."

He knew this was ridiculous. He knew the possibility of Axel actually writing a whole book was slim and he knew getting the book published was even slimmer. Roxas wasn't making a fool's bet and he knew it. Axel didn't take anything seriously. He was a slacker and he was forgetful and he talked his way out of most situations. Maybe Axel had forgotten but Roxas knew him in high school.

He knew exactly the kind of person he was. Axel wasn't any kind of author and he didn't have any kind of way with words.

"The book doesn't have to sell?"

"Nope," Roxas shook his head, "you don't have to sell one copy. I just want to see your book, with your name on the cover, in a bookstore and then I'll marry you."

"And if I do this, you're not going to take it all back?"

"Nope," Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. There was a smug look on his face, "nope. And if you want, we can make a legally binding contract and I'll sign it."

Axel searched the other's blue eyes for something, but he wasn't sure what. All he saw was laughter. All he saw was smugness. All he saw was Roxas not taking him seriously. Axel could do it. He could write a book and he could find a publisher. Writing wasn't that hard to begin with and nowadays _anyone_ could get published.

"Okay," Axel smiled, his green eyes lighting up. He held out his hand and Roxas took it, "you've agreed to marry me if I can write a book – a legit book that has chapters and a plot and themes and shit – and get it published."

"Yep," Roxas shook Axel's hand. "You have my word, firecrotch."

"Mm, just remember to wear something nice at our reception, zombie."

* * *

**Author's Note:** First chapter done. It's a decent length and I'm hoping the other chapters will be longer. I guess it's really up to you guys on chapter length though. This is about 8500 words (according to fanfiction it's 9400). I wanted it to be around 12,000 but it's the first chapter and I don't even know if anyone is going to be interested in this story.

Anyway – feedback is great. Really, really great. Tell me how you feel about the story, the idea, the length of the chapter(s), the characters, whatever.

I'll try and update as regularly as possible if people show interest. If people don't show interest, I'll probably take the story down. Feedback is mucho importante.

Anyway – hope it was enjoyable.


	2. Enter Demyx: His Music Speaks

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Well… This story has gained some interest, so I've decided to continue it.

Thanks for all the reviews. I sincerely appreciate all of them. The support means a lot to me and I really, really appreciate you guys. Check the end of the chapter for responses to your reviews.

Um... This story _will_ contain Axel x Demyx, possible Roxas x Riku, maybe some Cloud x Leon, definitely Axel x Roxas (duh), and maybe Sora x Riku. I'll list off more couplings as they come to mind. Feel free to suggest any couplings you, the fabulous reader, would like to see.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

II – Enter Demyx: His Music Speaks

**July** **melted quickly** into mid-August without many problems. Sora and Riku still hadn't spoken to each other, Roxas had signed a legally binding contract to marry Axel provided he gets his book published, and Axel and Riku had finished setting up the upper part of the duplex and were thoroughly pleased with the end result. They had moved their pool table toward the back of the living room and pushed their couch against the wall near the doorway to the balcony. They had mounted their television onto the opposite wall and placed a stereo near the door that lead to the stairs.

"It gives us a dance floor!" Axel had argued when Riku complained about the set-up, "don't you just wanna dance sometimes?"

"I don't dance," he had replied grumpily, "and the only time I ever have the urge to dance is when I think about the dancing I'll be doing on your grave."

Their bedrooms couldn't have been more different. Riku was quite organized and he liked his space tidy. He made his bed in the mornings and his posters were hung in symmetrical ways and he put away all of his clothing in his closet. Axel, on the other hand, had opted to live in a room that closely resembled a dumpster. Clothes were strewn about on the floor, things had been thrown haphazardly onto the walls, and all of his school things were in complete disarray.

"Not dirty," he had argued with his roommate, "just messy."

Riku hadn't known there was a difference.

There was one corner in Axel's room where nothing was strewn about. It was a special space because it was where his easel was set up and behind his easel sat his pieces of canvas and his different paints and brushes. His desk drawers were also very organized because they contained his pens and pencils and sketchbooks and charcoals. The redhead had already lost two sketchbooks filled with drawings due to his messiness and he was fearful of losing more.

"You should've bet Roxas you couldn't paint a masterpiece," Riku was lying on the couch in the living room with his legs bent at the knees. It was a sinfully warm summer day and both boys were exceptionally hot. They had stripped down to their boxers and turned on the ceiling fan and proceeded to lounge on the couch. "That would've been the smart thing to do."

"Yea, I know," the redhead replied irritably, "but he said he wanted someone that has a way with words. Ugh… I can't write worth shit. What the fuck is an adjective?" he had a notebook flipped open and was writing down possible ideas with a red pen.

"A descriptive word," Riku picked up the remote from the floor and began channel surfing, "like hot day or cold ice or –"

"Big cock?" Axel mumbled.

"Yea," Riku smirked, "or rough sex."

"What about butt sex?"

"Butt sex is when one dude – or a chick with a strap-on – takes another dude's –"

"No," Axel gave Riku a look, "I _know_ what butt sex is, but -"

His roommate smiled cheekily, "but do you know what docking is?"

"Riku, focus! I need help with English grammar!" Axel's shoulders sagged and he sighed as he wrote something down in his notebook and then crossed it out. Thinking of an idea was harder than it seemed and writing out a plotline for an idea was even worse. Axel had successfully gone through two notebooks in a little less than a month and they had all been filled with little scratch marks across every word. God – painting was_ so_ much easier than this.

"Okay," Riku sat up on the couch, "but do you know what docking is?"

"Fine, what's docking?" Axel threw his notebook and pen to the floor. He looked quite irritable and he was feeling a little murderous.

"It's when one dude places the head of his penis inside the foreskin of another dude's penis."

Axel opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He thought about this for a moment and then he gave Riku a rather disgusted, but delighted, look. "You know this by experience?"

"Circumcised," Riku lied back down on the couch and placed his legs across Axel's lap, "and I've only ever had sex with two people," he thought for a moment and then corrected himself, "three people. All were circumcised."

"I don't count," he shoved Riku's legs off his lap, "it was an accident."

"Yea," he rolled his eyes, "I just slipped and fell on your dick. I remember."

"So," Axel ignored him, "two people, huh? Anyone I know?"

"Well…" Riku frowned, "its two people you haven't slept with..."

"Wow, really?" the redhead looked genuinely shocked. "Oh, were they girls? Did you sleep with two girls?" he pressed. His roommate merely shrugged, but Axel continued to prod him. "No, seriously! Tell me. I want to know. You can't tell me you've conquered two people that _I_ haven't even conquered and then not tell me who they are."

Riku smirked and slipped off the couch. He stretched his arms above his head and eyed the redhead. He couldn't tell him. He had kept it from his best friend for such a long time. It was purely out of shame and guilt that he didn't parade it around, but now it seemed cruel to tell Axel he had slept with Roxas multiple times. Not _just_ slept with him but took his virginity when they were in high school. The redhead was clearly taken with the sassy blond and Riku knew his roommate would be mad. He knew he would be jealous.

Axel got jealous over the silliest things and he was a lot more vulnerable and emotional than he really let on. His flirtatious exterior was just a cover for his sensitive, artsy interior and his sensitive, artsy interior was a light covering for his carnal interior (or the 'slut' interior as it had been rightfully defined).

"Do you think Roxas is a virgin?" Riku tentatively asked.

"Oh, definitely," Axel ran a hand through his red locks of hair, "he's never even been on a date before. I bet that boy is harder to get into than a Panic at the Disco concert."

"Hm…" he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm gonna grab a shower."

It would _definitely_ be cruel to tell Axel now.

••••••••••••••

**There was a** sharp increase in the amount of kids around campus as August wore on. School started in mid-September and students were beginning to move back into their apartments and houses. Axel was pleased with the sudden increase in people. He was very social and while he enjoyed his alone time he also enjoyed being with friends and having parties and meeting new people. Axel was the guy on campus who introduced himself to random people. He was the guy who threw the awesome parties. He was the guy everyone knew and talked about.

Everybody loved Axel. Some just didn't know it yet.

"Can't wait for everyone to be back," Axel was sketching something in his sketchbook. He thought maybe drawing would help him think of ideas for a story, "then we can have a killer party. And people will come because we have a dance floor."

"Yea," Riku laughed, "that's why they'll come," he pulled a light blue v-neck over his head and took a seat on the couch. "They'll come to dance. Not drink or get high, but to dance."

Axel smirked at Riku from his position on the floor, "it's all right, Riku. I'd be pissy too if I looked like I was seizing when I danced."

He flung a pillow at the back of Axel's head, causing the redhead's pencil to make a deep, dark line across his drawing.

"You ass!" he stood up with his sketchbook in hand, "you just made me fuck up my drawing!" he was more annoyed than mad. It was just a sketch of some flowers that he had seen in the neighbor's yard, but still. He had been steadily working on it for the last two hours or so.

"Sorry," Riku glared, "I was seizing. Couldn't control my movements."

Axel opened his mouth to respond, but the argument was quickly forgotten when a voice neither of them recognized could be heard from the lower floor. Since they had started living in the duplex Sora and Roxas never had guests unless it was Kairi and Naminé and that was rare because both girls were currently accompanying their father on business trips around the world for the summer. They were seldom even in the country.

"Come on, Roxy! It'll make you feel better!"

Axel and Riku exchanged looks. Their door was closed so whoever was talking was certainly a loud mouth.

"Everyone wants to dance!" the loud mouth stated. Axel smirked and Riku merely rolled his eyes.

"I told you," Axel walked over to the front door of their floor and cracked it just the slightest bit. "Everyone wants to dance."

"No," Riku stood up, "people want to dry hump and get their crotches rubbed on by some prepubescent-looking boy or girl."

"Yea," Axel teased, "dancing. That's what I said."

Both of them stood at the doorway and peaked out. Was it worth making the walk down all those stairs to see who had come over to visit Roxas? Axel didn't think so, but then he was completely swayed when he heard trumpets followed by a heavy bass line coming from the stereo on the lower level.

"Is that "My Humps"?" Riku scrunched his face, but there was a smile evident. "Are they _really _listening to "My Humps"?"

Axel was grinning, "I _have_ to see Roxas dancing to this." He opened the door and quickly walked down the stairs with Riku at his heels. Roxas was rather grumpy and he didn't seem like the type to dance or laugh or have any kind of fun. As far as Axel knew he spent most of his days sitting in his room or lounging around the house looking bored. Sometimes he'd be reading an encyclopedia but the redhead knew better than to ask why.

Both boys went through the foyer and into the living room. Riku looked slightly amused at the scene before him, but Axel looked completely delighted in every sense of the word.

Roxas most certainly wasn't dancing, but a very attractive blond boy had jumped up onto the coffee table and was dancing like a complete tool. It was cute. It was funny. And that boy had one _hell_ of an ass and one _hell_ of a body to go with it.

"_Spendin' all your money on me and spendin' time on me_," the blond sang along. He was clearly trying to amuse his moody friend, but it wasn't working. Roxas had his arms crossed over his chest and he was looking everywhere except at the table-dancer. "_Get you love drunk off my hump_…" he shook his bottom at Roxas who was now retreating from his position on the couch.

The blond jumped off the coffee table and grabbed Roxas's waist. He yanked him close and ignored his attempts to get away and his idle threats. It wasn't until Roxas had flailed about enough that Axel just absolutely lost it and began to laugh. Riku had lost it a few seconds beforehand.

Color burned in both the blond and Roxas's cheeks once they noticed Axel and Riku. The nineteen year-old paused the stereo and then crossed his arms defensively over his chest. His blue eyes narrowed and he glared coldly at his upstairs tenants.

"Don't I look like a tool…" Roxas's friend mumbled. He gave Roxas a look, "thanks for telling me you had gorgeous men living above you. I'm so glad everyone just got a free show."

"People _pay _you to dance like a dumbshit?" Axel teased, "I wouldn't pay you to dance, but I might be willing to pay for that ass."

"Axel…" Roxas sighed irritably, "Can you just… God, can you censure yourself just a little bit?"

He ignored Roxas, "What's your name?"

"Demyx…" the blond nervously ran his fingers through his hair, "and you two are…?"

"Axel," he looked over at Riku, "and that's Riku. We live upstairs."

"So… why were you dancing to "My Humps" on the coffee table?" Riku raised a brow.

"I was making the mistake of trying to cheer Roxas up, but now I just look like a dillhole."

Axel laughed. Demyx was _very_ cute. "If you shake your ass just to cheer someone up, what can I get for a dollar?"

"He'll spit on you…" Roxas mumbled grumpily and Demyx nodded eagerly in agreement.

Axel laughed again. Demyx was _very, very_ cute. Not exactly someone he'd expect Roxas to be friends with, but he hadn't really expected Roxas to have _any_ friends. Especially not friends that had nice bodies and nice butts and cute personalities. Maybe friends who were more… dressed in black and brooding about life. Maybe overweight with severe acne scarring. People Roxas could feel superior to in some way.

"You're cute," Axel walked passed Demyx and took a seat on the couch.

"Keep it in your pants," Roxas glared hatefully at the redhead.

"Sorry – do you own Demy, zombie?" his brow furrowed, "are you two dating? Anything more than friends?"

Roxas shook his head, "No, but –"

"So there's no _reason_ to keep it in my pants, then," Axel put his feet on the coffee table and smirked at Roxas, "besides, keeping something this large in my pants all the time is difficult. And painful."

Demyx laughed lightly.

"Stop encouraging him!" Roxas pouted. Arms crossed over his chest and he looked at his friend with a bit of disgust, "he's annoying enough as it is… Don't give him the impression that he's funny."

"Roxas is just jealous," Riku had swaggered his way over toward the back of the couch where Axel sat. "He doesn't like competition when it comes to Axel…" he placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders, a small smirk evident on his handsome features.

"Excuse me?" the blond glared coldly, "I _what_?"

"It's okay to be jealous," Riku stated brightly, "he's technically your fiancé, after all."

Demyx looked from Roxas to Axel to Riku and then back again. Brow furrowed and then his eyes narrowed. He couldn't tell if they were joking or not. It seemed _very_ unlike Roxas to be engaged _especially_ to someone as obnoxious as Axel and it seemed even less likely that Axel would find Roxas likeable. Attractive, sure, but Demyx knew how off-putting his friend could be at times. He got the impression Axel liked to have fun and Roxas… Well, he didn't.

"True," Axel stood and he and Riku exchanged a look of delight, "but zombie should know that he's my only _true _love," he walked behind Roxas and yanked him into a hug that looked more like a hold, "and that I would _never_ go stepping out on him. Not even for someone as…" his eyes danced up and down Demyx's body, "attractive as you…"

Demyx looked away in an attempt to hide his blush. Roxas struggled in Axel's grasp until the redhead let him go.

"He's _not_ my fiancé!" the blond glared daggers at his duplex-mates, "you can _have_ him, Dem! He's obnoxious and weird and…and…"

"Gorgeous?" Axel offered helpfully.

"Gross!" Roxas pouted.

Axel smirked and tossed a look to Riku. They were both thoroughly delighted with the slight mayhem they were causing.

"Oh, Roxy… you're so high-strung…" the redhead teased.

Roxas rounded on him, "I'm high-strung because you're around!" he looked very upset about all the teasing that was taking place. Much more upset than what should be normal. "And I'm not jealous!" he added, "go out with whoever you want! I don't care!"

Axel's eyes narrowed, "you sure about that?"

Truthfully no, Roxas wasn't sure. He didn't exactly like Axel, but the interest the redhead had in him had made him feel… good and secure. He couldn't explain it without having to, in some way, admit he liked Axel which wasn't the case. He just liked the attention and he was a little offended that some of Axel's attention was now on his friend. It hadn't been that long ago since he signed that contract and… Well… Maybe part of him had hoped Axel was going to take the bet seriously. But only a small, insignificant part of him had hoped. Just the smallest bit.

"Roxy?"

"I don't care," Roxas's brow furrowed and he grabbed Demyx's wrist, "come on… We have stuff to do…"

Demyx shrugged his shoulders and as Roxas pulled him toward his bedroom, he called over his shoulder "nice meeting you, Axel and Riku!"

••••••••••••••

**Axel had Demyx's** number before the day was over. The redhead had hinted heavily that he and the blond should do something together sometime. In their brief meeting Axel had learned Demyx had just moved back to campus from his house a few states away. He was a junior and majoring in music and he played bass and guitar and was classically trained (which meant absolutely nothing to Axel because he hadn't the slightest clue the difference between regular training and classical training).

"He's cute…" Riku repeated, "I'd go out with him if he wasn't so… not my type."

"Or, you know, if he was actually _in_ to you," Axel teased, "we have such different tastes in men…"

Riku smirked to himself, "Mm… we're more alike than you think."

"Hey," Axel sat up slightly in the hammock he and Riku were lying on, "what the hell happened between you and Sora? I'm the only one that doesn't know…"

"Nothing," Riku had his arms behind his head and he was looking up toward the sky. They were lying horizontally on the hammock with their feet touching the floor of the balcony. They weren't much into cuddling with each other and lying horizontally was the only way they both would fit.

"I see the way you guys avoid each other… I see the way Sora stares at you too," Axel gave his best friend a look, "I tell you everything. Why can't you tell me what happened?"

"There's nothing to tell," Riku frowned.

The redhead sighed in frustration, "Yes, there is. If there wasn't anything to tell you guys wouldn't try so hard to avoid each other."

"Do you think Roxas was overly upset about the teasing today?" Riku mumbled. He was desperate for a subject change. If Axel kept pressing he knew he'd eventually cave and tell the redhead everything.

"Nice subject change." Axel sighed, "But I'll take it since we're talking about Roxas… Yea, I do. He seemed really upset. I've been teasing him since we moved in and he never gets that upset."

"I bet it was Demyx," Riku looked over at Axel, "you know? I bet it was bugging him that you were making eyes with Dem."

The redhead shrugged, "So? He doesn't own me. He's not my boyfriend…"

"Well, I know…" Riku stood up from the hammock and stretched his long body, "I'm just saying I think Roxas was jealous… Are you going to actually call Demyx?"

"Yea," Axel looked at Riku skeptically, "why?"

"Mm…" he shrugged, "don't you think it's kind of shitty to be practically engaged to Roxas but then scam on him with his friends? Don't you think Demyx would be pretty hurt if he knew the score between you guys?"

The redhead looked away, "We're not practically anything… We're barely friends. I like Roxas and… and I think maybe I would like to marry him, but… But I can't wrap an abstinence belt around my waist. I'm not going to suddenly become an introvert because Roxas signed a contract with me."

"So… you're going to work on your book so you can eventually marry Roxas, but date Roxas's friend in the meantime?" Riku raised a brow.

"Yea," Axel stood up from the hammock, "thanks, voice of reason…" he teased lightly.

He heard his roommate sigh behind him as he walked inside the duplex. Riku did have a point. It did seem like a mean thing to do, but he barely knew Demyx. Maybe Dem just wanted sex and maybe they could get together and do it sometime. Maybe they would just become good friends and even if they _did_ actually date, would it matter? Everything Axel wanted with Roxas all depended on the stupid book he was supposed to be writing.

The redhead walked down the stairs of the duplex and crossed the living room. Sora had left for work an hour ago and Roxas had been holed up in his room since after the teasing session in the living room. Axel gently knocked on the door and when he didn't get an answer, he poked his head in.

"Roxas?"

The blond was sitting on the edge of the bed with his guitar in his hands. He was playing something pretty, something Axel didn't know, and he didn't even look up when the redhead entered the room. A mumbled "what?" came from Roxas's lips, but he was looking downward as his slender fingers worked to find the right notes on his instrument.

"Sounds nice…" Axel sat next to Roxas and watched him. "How long have you been playing?"

"I don't know…" he made brief eye contact with Axel, "eight? Nine years?"

"Jesus. Talk about commitment…" the redhead laid back on Roxas's bed and stared toward the ceiling, "can I ask you something?"

"Mm… Okay…" he stopped playing and he turned his body slightly so he could look at his duplex-mate. "I'll bite. What is it now? Another favor?"

"Sort of…" he propped himself on his elbows, "does it… would it bother you if I went out with Demyx?"

Roxas looked at Axel for a long time. Their eyes met several times, but the blond broke contact to look elsewhere. Tongue darted out to moisten his lips and then he mumbled "do what you want. I don't care…" before turning back around and fiddling with his guitar.

"Roxas," Axel sat up, "hey, Roxy…" he put his hand on the other's shoulder and he felt him tense up. "Why are you like that?"

"I'm not like anything," he sighed and leaned his guitar against the side of the bed, "look, what do you want? You have my permission to go bang Demyx. Now go away…"

"I never said I wanted to conquer him," there was a slight tone to Axel's voice, "if it bothers you, I won't go out with him…"

"It doesn't bother me," Roxas looked toward the other side of the room.

"Roxy," he frowned, "Roxy, come on… Look at me."

"Why?" he glanced at Axel before looking away again, "It doesn't bother me. Do whatever you want."

"If it doesn't bother you, why won't you look at me?"

Roxas growled and looked at the redhead. Their eyes locked and Axel searched those pretty blue orbs just like he had the day in the car when they made the deal. He was looking for something but he didn't know what. All he saw was anger. All he saw was complete and total jealousy. He wouldn't go out with Demyx if Roxas said so. He really, really wouldn't, but… He wanted Roxas to say it. If the blond couldn't even tell Axel that he liked him, just a little bit, then who was to say he'd even keep his end of the deal when Axel finished his book?

"Does it bother you?" Axel reached up and cupped his cheek, "I won't call him or go out with him or anything if it bothers you… I just want to know."

Roxas stared into his green eyes. His lips were parted but he didn't say anything. He looked less angry and… soft. He looked vulnerable, as if he was afraid this was some kind of joke. His tongue darted out to lick at his dry lips again. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He was completely mesmerized by those green, green eyes and that warm, gentle hand on his cheek.

"Tell me, Roxy…" Axel mumbled.

"I…" the blond stared with wide-eyes, "it doesn't…"

Axel caressed Roxas's cheek gently with his thumb. He felt just as vulnerable as Roxas looked. He wouldn't say he _loved_ his duplex-mate, but… But he certainly did like him. Enough so that even though he told Riku he would continue to tap random ass while he wrote his book, he hadn't actually meant it. Not if it bothered Roxas.

"I want to kiss you," Roxas breathed softly, "I really don't like you… But I want to kiss you."

"Roxy…" Axel leaned in slowly and then very gently captured his lips. They were soft. They were warm and they were wet and the kiss felt completely right in every way. It was the kind of kiss that made his hair stand on end. It was the kind of kiss that made him feel like fireworks were going off in the background. It was the kind of kiss one reads about in trashy romance novels and it was the kind of kiss that made Axel feel as if he'd just been set alight.

And then Roxas pulled just the slightest bit away and it was over. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over.

"Roxy…" he leaned in to close the gap between them, but Roxas placed a hand against Axel's shoulder.

"Wait," his blue eyes met green ones. "I don't…"

A soft sigh passed Axel's lips and he opted to press a soft kiss to Roxas's forehead.

"You can go out with Dem. I don't care…" he pulled away from the redhead, "you're not my boyfriend…"

Axel looked away. Well… yea, that was true. Roxas most certainly wasn't his boyfriend and he could do whatever he wanted. But maybe part of him was hoping that the blond _was_ jealous and maybe part of him was hoping that Roxas did like him enough to boss him around. After all, Axel liked his boys a little bossy.

"Hey," Axel stood and walked over to the bookshelves that had been built into the wall, "these were all your mom's books?"

"Yea…" Roxas had picked up his guitar again and was strumming a song that sounded familiar to Axel. "Why?"

The redhead scanned the titles of the books with his green eyes. Maybe he should've never made the deal with Roxas. Maybe he should rip up their contract and call it quits. He couldn't write anyway and it was clear that the blond didn't much like him. They had just kissed and Axel couldn't even be excited about it because it seemed like Roxas could care less.

"Hey, Aesop's fables…" he grabbed the large book from the shelf, "is this the anthology?" he opened up the cover of the old book and ran his finger down the list of fables.

"Yea," Roxas glanced up momentarily, "I've read nearly all of them…"

He stopped on a fable called "The Bee and Jupiter" and a smile tugged the corners of his lips upward as he read the short fable. He had never read many of Aesop's fables. He remembered being forced to read a few during his grade school days but he had considered the life lessons pretty stupid even then.

"What kind of moral is 'evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost' anyway?" brow furrowed and Axel flipped to another fable and scanned the moral for it, "and 'necessity knows no law' is pretty dumb…"

Roxas sighed, "Yea… Aesop was kind of a dope… He should've written about shit pertaining to his time…" he stopped strumming and looked over at Axel, "he was supposedly a slave in Greece and he wrote the fables to keep himself positive, but he should've written like… I don't know. Fables with morals that taught kids how to escape slavery."

"Or fables that taught revenge," Axel teased. "Stuff people can use."

"Right," Roxas laughed lightly. "Those fables could use an upgrade," he mused, "maybe the fables could teach morals that actually pertain to _our_ time."

The redhead laughed gently for a brief moment, but then he stopped.

"Roxas," he turned to face the blond, "can I borrow this?"

"Huh?" his brow furrowed, "yea, but –"

"You're a genius," a wide smile had spanned across Axel's features. "You're a fucking genius!"

"I… what?" Roxas frowned, "what did I –"

Axel walked over to the blond, pressed a warm kiss to his cheek, and then bounded from the room excitedly with the anthology of fables clutched under his arm. Tentatively Roxas reached up and touched his cheek and tried hard to ignore the burning sensation Axel had left not only on his face but in the pit of his stomach as well.

••••••••••••••

**Whatever Axel was **doing Riku couldn't say. The redhead had rushed upstairs last night with a large, old-looking book in his hands and then proceeded to shut himself in his room without so much as an explanation. The duplex was oddly quiet without Axel running around causing his general mayhem.

Riku was sitting in the kitchen downstairs and sipping a mug of coffee while flipping through the Sunday newspaper. It was early, around eight in the morning, and he had made the mistake of going into work. Apparently, no one had told him they had swapped the schedule around and he wasn't working on Sundays anymore. No one bothered to tell him until about seven AM after he had already clocked in for three hours worth of work.

"Morning…" Sora walked, bleary-eyed, into the kitchen and grabbed a mug from the cabinet. "You're up early…" he mumbled as he poured coffee into his cup from the pot.

"So are you," Riku flipped through the newspaper and pulled out the Sunday comics, "how come?"

"I don't know," the brunet took a seat at the table across from Riku, "it seems the duplex is only quiet early in the mornings…"

He laughed gently and slid the comics toward Sora, "There's a _Garfield_ comic you might find funny…"

"Ooh, thanks…" he smiled and both boys flipped through their portions of the paper in silence. Occasionally Sora would give a small laugh and Riku would smile to himself. It had been a long time since they were able to be together without things being awkward and their conversations becoming very tense or strained. This was the first time they had actually talked since Riku moved in a few months ago.

"You're right," Sora flipped the paper over, "that was a pretty funny _Garfield_."

"Well, no one knows you better than I do."

He regretted it as soon as he said it. It probably wasn't true anymore. How could it be? He had barely talked to Sora in the last four years and people changed a lot. It had been a stretch to even offer the newspaper comics because who knew? Maybe Sora had dropped his _Garfield_ obsession a long time ago.

"I'm not mad," the brunet mumbled shyly.

"Then why are you avoiding me?" Riku set the newspaper on the table top and sipped his coffee. His aqua eyes met Sora's blue ones.

"Because it's weird," he shrugged and looked away. "It's weird…"

"Sora," Riku frowned, "that's not logical."

He was looking everywhere but at Riku. He and Roxas were a lot alike in more than just their looks. They had the same demeanors, the same accusing stares, and the same inability to even look _at_ someone when they were lying. Riku wondered if Naminé and Kairi were just as bad at lying or if dealing with their brothers had made them better at it.

"Yea," Sora frowned, "I don't have to be mad to think something is awkward…"

"But if you're over it –"

"I never _said_ I was over it," he studied the coffee in his cup. He hated himself for sounding so cold.

"So you're mad?" Riku pressed.

"No," Sora sipped the warm liquid from his mug. His blue eyes were cast downward and he didn't say anything for a long time. He could feel Riku's eyes burning a hole in his scalp and this was exactly why he had spent so much time making sure they didn't end up alone together. Of course Riku wanted to talk about it. He wouldn't just let it go.

"I don't understand," Riku sighed and leaned back in his chair, "if you're not over it and you're not mad then what are you?"

"Why can't you just let it go?" Sora gripped his cup tightly, "why do you have to wallow in the past, Riku? Why can't you just realize that being together was a mistake and move on?"

"Oh, what, like _you've_ moved on?" he looked quite indignant, "and being with you was never a mistake, Sora. I loved you. I really, really did."

"Great," he rolled his blue eyes, "I thought love triumphed over everything before I met you…" he wished he hadn't said it. It wasn't even true. He just wanted Riku to hurt.

Riku looked away and ignored the guilt building up in his chest. Now it was his turn to look everywhere but at Sora and now it was Sora's turn to burn holes in his scalp.

"Look, I can't explain why I did it…" he fiddled with the handle of his mug, "I guess I was just being stupid."

"Oh, well, as long as you can take a stab in the dark!" Sora stood up from the table, "Hell, I guess I'll stop waiting around for an explanation because not even _you_ can figure out why you slept with Roxas!"

"God," Riku stood up too and glared daggers at Sora, "is there REALLY that much of a difference between you two?"

Sora looked extremely offended, "Yes!" he yelled, "I actually loved you! God, you deserve to be alone and feel bad! You traded my love for a good time!"

Heat rose in Riku's cheeks and he looked away from the brunet. Hands gripped the backside of his chair and he didn't stop Sora when he huffed and stormed out of the kitchen with his coffee cup in hand. It could've gone better. It certainly could've gone _much_ better for the both of them.

And now Sora was left feeling like _he_ had done something wrong.

••••••••••••••

**Axel stumbled down** the stairs and into the kitchen around noon. He hadn't gotten to bed until around four in the morning and then he had trouble falling asleep because he kept thinking about him and Roxas and their kiss. He kept thinking about the idea for his book. He kept thinking about what kind of cake he'd want at his wedding. He had decided chocolate, probably, or maybe red velvet. But nothing with fruit because putting fruit on cake was just plain silly. Like putting sugar on a cracker and calling it a cookie.

Fridge was opened and Axel rubbed sleepily at one of his green eyes. He was wearing a pair of fire red boxers around his waist and nothing else. Milk was grabbed – the milk with 'Cheseborough' written on it – and he pinched the cardboard out and took a swig from the carton.

He immediately regretted it. Axel gagged and rushed to the sink, leaning over and spitting the fishy-tasting milk from his mouth. Water was turned on and he began to rinse his mouth over and over again.

"Enjoying the tuna milk, firecrotch?"

Axel glanced over at Roxas who was sitting at the kitchen table. The smallest hint of a smile made itself evident on his features and Axel's brows furrowed.

"What?" the redhead rinsed his mouth one more again before shutting the water off and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Sora put tuna in Riku's milk," Roxas laughed, "serves you right for being a mooch…"

"You're an asshole," but there was the smallest smile tugging his lips upward.

Roxas shrugged and sipped his coffee. He watched as the redhead opted for a swig of orange juice instead – juice that had 'Badcock' written across the front.

"What are you doing?" the blond asked, "That's mine and Sora's orange juice."

"Your brother ruined the milk," Axel screwed the cap off the juice, "so I think I can have a little juice…" he took a swig and then immediately spit it into the sink.

"What?" Roxas looked the slightest bit curious, "did he do something to the juice too?"

"No," Axel spit into the sink, "There's a shitton of pulp in it."

Roxas laughed delightedly.

The redhead sighed and placed both the carton of juice and the milk back in the fridge. He decided nothing was safe to drink and opted for a glass of water instead. Not something he particularly enjoyed, but Sora was busy trying to poison Riku and Axel was getting caught in the cross fire.

"You put the milk back?" Roxas was suppressing a grin, "You're a shitty friend."

"Yea, well…" he filled a glass with tap water, "how would you know? We're not even friends…" he teased.

Roxas didn't say a word.

Axel took a seat at the table next to Roxas. He stretched his body and then very casually put an arm around his duplex-mate's shoulders. He didn't protest, but he didn't respond in a positive way either. It was platonic – like an older brother and his younger one.

"So… What's your last name?" the blond sipped coffee from his mug.

"Why? Curious as to what name you'll be taking when we get hitched?"

"Yea," Roxas snorted, "ever think you'd be taking _my_ last name?"

"Badcock?" Axel laughed, "Please… there's nothing bad about my cock."

"You and your hand would know…" Roxas mumbled. "Tell me your last name."

"Axel."

Roxas gave him a look, "Your name is Axel Axel?"

"Yep."

Roxas rolled his eyes, "You're retarded."

"But _so_ damn sexy…" Axel smirked the slightest bit, "so irresistible."

"And annoying," Roxas looked up at the redhead, "don't forget annoying. Oh, and self-centered. And pompous."

"Roxy, it's okay. You can just admit to liking me. I get your insults are really just manifestations of how badly you want me…" Axel leaned in close enough so their foreheads touched, "it's okay to want," he breathed.

"I…" his blue eyes were wide. They were undeniably close, "I don't want anything… Not from you, firecrotch…"

Axel raised a brow, "Maybe you're confused. Didn't _you_ want to kiss _me _yesterday?"

Roxas placed a hand against Axel's chest, "Maybe," he breathed, "but you're the one who did the actual kissing."

"Mhm," Axel smirked, "so even though you pretty much told me to kiss you, it's my fault for actually doing it?"

"Yea," he was unaware that he was leaning back to compensate for Axel leaning forward, "like right now… even if I _wanted_ to kiss, which I don't, and you did the actual _kissing_, which you shouldn't, then it'd be your fault…"

"Well, I think you should kiss me…" Axel felt his heartbeat quicken, "just to even up the score."

Roxas hesitated. Tongue darted out to moisten his dry lips and he was close – so close – to leaning in and kissing Axel, but the sound of the doorbell ringing cut them short. And Roxas really couldn't be any more relieved.

"I should get the door," he pushed Axel away and stood up from his chair. His cheeks were a slight pink color and he was clearly embarrassed by the position they had just been in. He avoided Axel's gaze because he was afraid those pretty green eyes would reflect some sort of hurt or disappointment. Something that would just make him feel guilty.

It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss Axel, it was just… He was prideful. He didn't want to like Axel. He didn't want to end up just like everyone else that liked him. Besides, Roxas knew better. He and Axel would never, ever function as a couple because they were two very, very different people. He envisioned them as a couple that had a really, really, really spectacular sex life but only because they had nothing to say to each other. Sex was good at filling in the empty spaces. He had learned that much from being with Riku.

"Oh… Hey, Dem…" Roxas frowned as he opened up the door, "what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too," he pushed his way passed the blond and let himself inside, "is Axel around?"

Roxas had to stop himself from muttering under his breath, "Yea, he's –"

"Heard my name," Axel walked into the foyer, "hope you're saying good things."

"Always," Roxas mumbled sarcastically.

"Hey…" Demyx's eyes fluttered up and down Axel's half-naked form, "we've never going to make the movie."

"Movie?" Roxas looked from Demyx to Axel and then crossed his arms over his chest. "That's cute. You guys are going to a movie…" he grumbled in mock amusement.

"Oh shit…" he ran a hand through his red hair. "Yea. I forgot. Just give me like ten minutes to rub some paste on my teeth and throw some clothes on."

Demyx smiled and watched as Axel bounded up the stairs and out of sight.

"So…" Roxas looked up at his friend, "I guess you're going on a date?"

"I guess…" Demyx shrugged, "why? Does it bother you?"

"The only thing that bothers me is having to watch you guys eye-rape each other," Roxas glared, "and pick your jaw up off the floor. He isn't even that good looking…" he stomped passed his friend and retreated into his bedroom. He was very annoyed and he was very upset and he didn't know why. Axel could do what he wanted.

Hadn't Roxas made it clear he didn't give a shit?

••••••••••••••

**Things hadn't gotten** much better between Sora and Riku by the evening. In fact, Riku had made it his mission to make sure he and Sora never ended up alone again after their little argument in the kitchen. It was clear the brunet wasn't over what had happened between them and it was clear he wasn't exactly in any place to forgive Riku. Was it stupid to say that Riku had been hoping Sora would forgive him? Was it stupid to say he was hoping that maybe – just maybe – they could get back together? Maybe pick up where they left off?

Probably.

Roxas wasn't feeling much better about Axel either and he found himself woefully bothered by the whole situation. Demyx wasn't even really his friend and he knew he was being cold, but he couldn't help himself. Axel, on some level, was his and not that Roxas would ever admit it, but he didn't want the redhead scamming on him with other guys. But he was prideful and he was moody and he wasn't ready to state how he _maybe_ felt.

He found himself slowly becoming more and more agitated as the evening wore on and Axel hadn't arrived home yet. He was finding himself more and more uncomfortable with the whole situation. He tried to distract himself with his guitar or with the television or by reading, but his mind continued to wander back to his stupid upstairs tenant.

"Have you heard from Axel?" Roxas had actually made the effort to go up the stairs and ask Riku.

"No," he shrugged, "why?"

"Oh… no reason…" and then the blond walked woefully down the stairs and repeated to himself that he didn't care about Axel and he _shouldn't_ care about when he came home.

But that certainly didn't stop him from abandoning his position on the couch when he heard a pair of keys in the lock. It certainly didn't stop him from standing in the foyer with his arms crossed and looking bad-tempered. Just because he didn't care about the redhead didn't mean he wasn't going to yell at him for being such a conceited jerk.

"Where have you been?" Roxas cried before Axel even had a foot in the door.

"Oh," he had jumped slightly, "hey, Roxy… Jesus, you scared me…" the redhead closed the door behind himself and swung his keys around his finger. "What's up?" he smiled at the blond and he looked quite pleased which only added to Roxas's agitation.

"Where have you been?" Roxas repeated.

"It's only…" Axel reached into his pocket and checked his phone, "seven o'clock…"

"You left at one! It's been six hours!" he glared hatefully at Axel, "you went to see a movie! What? Was the movie six hours?"

"No," Axel's eyes narrowed in confusion, "it wasn't… We got ice cream and walked around the – I don't have to explain myself to you," he shook his head and walked passed Roxas and into the kitchen, "you said it wouldn't bother you if I want out with Demyx, so I –"

"Is that a HICKEY?"! Roxas pointed accusingly at Axel's neck, "you have a hickey?" he looked disgusted and annoyed and hurt all at once.

"What?" Axel touched his neck, "I… why do you care?" his cheeks burned a shade of pink. He was embarrassed. He felt like he had been caught cheating and he had to remind himself that he didn't have to apologize. Roxas was not, in any sense of the word, his boyfriend and his jealousy (while endearing) was just a byproduct of his inability to be honest with himself.

"I don't!" he yelled, "I just…"

Axel laughed, "Okay, Roxy…" he rolled his eyes and opened the fridge door. "God, you need a boyfriend… It's just a hickey…" he reached for the milk – the milk that had 'Cheseborough' written across the front – and he pinched the little cardboard tabs forward to open them. "Maybe I'll give you one later so we can match…"

Roxas opened his mouth to warn Axel, but decided against it.

He took a swig and gagged, the incident from this morning all coming back to him. He spit the tuna milk out into the sink and a chill shot down his spin. It had only become worse since it had been sitting in the fridge.

"Goddamnit!" he spat into the sink and then proceeded to rinse his mouth out.

"Still enjoying the tuna milk?" Roxas asked coldly.

Axel spat into the sink again and then shot the blond a dirty look, "You're a dick. I can't believe you let me do that _twice_."

"I can't believe you have a hickey!"

"Oh my God," Axel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "stop dicking around and just admit that the only reason you care is because you like me."

"I don't like you!" Roxas's hands balled into fists, "right now I'm teetering on the edge of hating you, Axel!"

"Why?" the redhead walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer, "why is that? What did I do to make you mad?" he started to walk up the stairs, but waited for a response from the blond.

"I…" Roxas gripped the railing on the stairway, "you're… You're obnoxious!"

"No," Axel leaned over the railing, "it's because I went out with Demy and you're a jealous tool."

Roxas blushed a deep shade of pink. He opened his mouth to defend himself but no words came out. He pouted at the redhead and when Axel rolled his pretty green eyes and proceeded up the stairs, Roxas did nothing and just watched his retreating form.

"So," the redhead stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at Roxas, "tell me, zombie, were you waiting for me all day?" he raised his brows and then only smirked when Roxas's face burned a deep red color and he withdrew from the foyer without a response.

Axel walked into his room and offered a nod to Riku.

"How'd it go?" he was sitting on the couch reading a book, "Roxas came up here asking about you."

"Isn't he sweet?" Axel mumbled sarcastically, "it went well. Demyx is a good kisser."

"Yea?" Riku didn't bat an eye, "is he good at giving blow jobs too?"

"Shut up," Axel smirked, "he's not that fast. He's… a kid," the redhead shrugged and took a seat on the couch, "like he'll kiss and he'll tease, but he won't do anything else… You know Roxas tried to give me the third degree as soon as I walked in?"

"That's good, right?" Riku mumbled, "that means he cares, right?"

Axel didn't respond. He supposed it could be construed as "care" but he wasn't buying it. Roxas was jealous, but whether it was because he cared or just wanted Axel to be hung up on him he couldn't be sure. He was leaning toward the latter considering Roxas had yet to really even speak to him until Demyx came around. Axel figured as soon as he lost interest in Demyx, Roxas would go right back to pretending the upstairs floor of the duplex was its own separate entity that he wanted nothing to do with.

"Axel?"

"Hm…?" the redhead glanced over at Riku.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea," he stood up and headed for his room, "I think I'll be okay."

The night was strangely quiet in the duplex. Usually Axel was causing some sort of mayhem or he and Riku were blaring music or Roxas was playing his guitar or someone was fighting with someone. But everyone had gone off to their own space and it had made the duplex seem rather lonely.

Riku had headed to bed early because he had to work in the morning and Sora had disappeared for the night. Roxas didn't make much of it. Sora occasionally slept over at friends' houses or came home late at night, sometimes drunk but usually sober and just exhausted. He had a lot more friends than Roxas did. Axel and Riku moving in had seemed to strain their relationship the slightest bit. Sora was busy avoiding Riku and therefore wasn't all over Roxas and Roxas was so busy brooding over Axel that Sora found it difficult to be around him.

Axel had retreated to his room earlier in the evening. He wanted to work on his fables. He wanted to show Roxas he was serious about his deal. He wanted Roxas to stop being so prideful and just admit that he felt _something_ other than dislike.

But the redhead had fallen asleep early, sometime around eleven, and was curled up in his bed with just his boxers on. It had started storming badly shortly after midnight, but it would take an act of God to wake Axel.

Roxas absolutely loathed thunderstorms, though. It wasn't until they moved into the duplex that storms began bothering him. He figured it had something to do with the window over his bed and the way lightning lit up the whole room. He figured maybe it had something to do with the way the thunder rumbled and seemed thirty times louder because of the tall ceilings. Usually Sora was next to him and he felt comforted by the sleeping form of his brother, but tonight there was just an empty space.

But Axel was upstairs. He could go to Axel.

"But I'll hate myself tomorrow if I do it…" he had gripped the blanket and pulled it over his head, "I'll have to kill myself tomorrow if I do it…"

Thunder boomed and Roxas reasoned that suicide was better than living in perpetual fear all night long. He gathered his blanket and wrapped it around himself as he crept out of his room and across the living room. Lightning struck and lit the duplex up and unfriendly shadows greeted him on the walls. He was much too old to be afraid of shadows and much too old to be afraid of storms, but he couldn't help it. Fear was just the natural response.

He clutched his blanket tightly and headed up the stairs trying hard to be quiet. Maybe Axel was awake still. Maybe he should just man up and go back downstairs. Maybe he should just man up and go crawl into bed with Axel.

Roxas grabbed the doorknob and opened the door slowly to the upper portion of the duplex. Their living room was dark, but he could hear the wind howling. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed and he quietly shut the door behind him and tried to ignore the unfriendly shadows that greeted him up here as well.

He approached Axel's room and he didn't bother knocking. He figured Axel wouldn't mind him barging in, if he was even awake.

"Axel?" he looked around the dark room and saw the redhead's sleeping form on the bed, "Axel…" Roxas swallowed hard and walked over to the bed. He gave the redhead's shoulders a little shake and figured it was fate that didn't want him waking Axel when the redhead didn't even stir.

A sigh passed his lips and he flopped down onto the redhead's bed. He curled up in the heat of his own blanket and deeply breathed the scent of Axel's room. It was something like fire, but not as strong. It smelled like a burned match or a candle that had just been blown out. It comforted him and he wasn't sure why. Being in Axel's room gave him that familiar burning feeling in the pit of his stomach and he wasn't sure why.

At least now he wasn't fearful. He was curled in Axel's bed with the scent of fire in his nostrils and he felt safe. It helped that Axel didn't know he was there.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Chapter two is up. I usually don't update this quickly. The longest I'll go with no update is probably a month. If it's any longer than a month, even by a day, check my profile because there will probably be some sort of explanation for the hold up. I don't like leaving people hanging. Readers shouldn't have to put up with that.

Anyway – I rewrote the last scene. It was originally filled with fluff, but then I realized it wasn't fitting with Roxas's bad attitude and moodiness. I'm trying so hard not to rush things between Axel and Roxas, but I hate waiting for them to jump each other's bones. It drives me mad.

Also, I still need a beta, so… ignore any errors. I reread it like four times, so hopefully there aren't any glaring, suicide-inducing mistakes.

As always, please review and tell your friends. Thank you for reading and I hope the chapter was enjoyable.

**Next Chapter**: **He Takes One Step Forward and Eight Steps Back**

**Thank you for reviewing:**

: I laughed when I first saw your review because most of my stories are about being down for the sake of being down. I'm leaning more towards humor now, though, because people seem to thoroughly enjoy this particular genre.

**Namichan11**: I'm certainly glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I do find I like to write Roxas as being an emotional rock until something, or someone, chips away his rough exterior.

**ImSmilee4You**: Thanks! You're very kind. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter.

**TopHatGlow**: Another review that made me chuckle. Humor that's actually humorous? You make it sound so unheard of.

**MadeofInk**: Even I lost interest in the beginning. I reread it three or four times for editing purposes and my mind kept wandering during the beginning. That's probably not good… I should really find a beta reader.

**NarutoAddicted95**: Thank you. This was originally intended to be a one-shot, but half-way through I realized it was either going to be a 30,000 word one-shot (and that wasn't long enough) or a chapter story.

**Egglorru**: A third review that made me laugh. Firecrotch v. Zombie has such a lovely ring to it. Well said, my good reader.

**MrMissMrs Random**: I don't see Axel giving up. Even in _Kingdom Hearts II_ he kind of resisted death there. I think that's why I like him so much. He's so resilient and it allows him to get taken advantage of sometimes.

**Muffin**: I really didn't think much about the names, but I'm really pleased you like them. Badcock is actually the name of a fabric store (not to be confused with Hancock. I don't understand the connection between cocks and fabric stores) and Cheseborough was the last name of a girl I was on swim team with (I thought her last name was Cheeseburger for months). I think Roxas might ditch the wedding if he's forced into a dress, but who knows? Axel can be quite the smooth talker.

**Miss-Dreev**: Aww, you liked the names too! I would feel really brilliant, but I don't because I didn't put much thought into them. I do like the last name Badcock, though, because it's a rather uncomfortable name for boys. There's no escaping the negative idea that your cock is bad.

**Aindel S. Druida**: I hate self-editing for that reason. I reread the chapter three or four times, but it's impossible to get all the typos without having another pair of eyes. I really need a beta reader. I do an okay job at editing, but my English can be pretty bad sometimes. It was really hard to write this because I kept changing tense throughout the damn story. I'm glad the mistakes don't take away from the story though. That's most excellent.

**Sana-chan9**: It's quite fun rooting for Axel. I think everyone hopes to see him shine.

**Aurora Leaf**: Yaaay! A review and an alert! I'm absolutely delighted. I'm glad you like the story so far. I hope I don't disappoint on the upcoming chapters.

**Keuraki-SoraXRiku**: Yea, the story starts off a bit slow but I'm glad I could grab your attention. I hear you about the chapter length. I posted _I Guess That's Love_ and I had a few reviews that commented on the length (it was long. Around 16,000 words). I think I'll try and keep chapter length around 9,000-10,000 words not including Author's Notes and all that stuff. 9,000-10,000 is about 22-25 pages which seems like normal chapter length to me. I appreciate your input on the subject as I'm always unsure as to what readers like or don't like.

**Sarahteehee3: **I guess I don't read enough fanfiction because I thought everyone portrayed Roxas as a jerk. The more I write AxelxRoxas the more I'm finding that it's usually Roxas chasing Axel and Axel being the jerk. I guess I just like Axel taking abuse though. It leaves me feeling warm on the inside.

**Daydreamishly**: Yea, I agree… Usually I don't have trouble writing Sora, but when I pair him with Roxas, I do. My mind says "it's Sora! He's happy-go-lucky" but what actually comes out is "Roxas broods, so Sora must have some kind of deep emotional pain too" and I have no idea why. I really prefer Sora happy and optimistic. I think I just get into writing a pessimistic Roxas and an anxiety-ridden Sora comes along for the ride. I guess misery really does love company.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope everyone enjoyed Chapter 2 and I hope all of you stick around for Chapter 3. Thank you for the support. I really appreciate you guys.


	3. One Step Forward, Eight Steps Back

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Did anyone else notice my inability to shut the fuck up during author's notes?  
Um… Chapter three is here. Axel and Roxas take some humiliation in stride. I think Axel really kind of… takes the cake in the humiliation department though.  
Also in this chapter: A look at Roxas's dead mom, Naminé and Kairi, Officer Leonhart, a naughty Demyx, and some fables authored by Axel.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

III – He Takes One Step Forward and Eight Steps Back

**He awoke because** he was cold.

His hips, maybe his lower back, had a strange ache to them, as if he'd been sleeping on something hard. Usually he sweat at night, but this morning he was dry. And he was cold. Tired green eyes were opened and he was briefly confused by his position. He could see the contents under his bed. His mattress felt strangely like a rough, wood floor, and his blanket felt something like cold air being blown on his half-naked form.

He had fallen off the bed before, but that stopped when he had stopped sharing a bed.

Axel stood and rubbed his face. The storm from last night hadn't seemed to let up much. It was still pouring rain, but the thunder had subsided. He glanced at the clock hanging on his wall and made a disgusted noise when he realized it was only nine in the morning. Anything before noon was way too early to be awake during the summer time. Hell – being awake before noon _any_ time should've been considered a crime.

Sleepily, he made a move to climb back into his bed.

"Roxas?" he mumbled. He had pulled back his blanket to reveal the pretty blond who had curled himself on top of his own blanket and wrapped himself in Axel's red one. He had also usurped all the pillows and created a nest around himself. Well, it was no wonder Axel had fallen out of bed. Roxas was a bed hog.

"Roxas," he shook the other, "move over." Axel was much too tired to _really_ think about this situation. If it hadn't been so damn early, he probably would've attempted to talk the blond into a bit of late morning fun. A little afternoon delight. But it was nine in the morning and the redhead's libido was somewhat absent.

"Go away…" Roxas mumbled, "This is my bed."

"Nooo," Axel sighed, "this is _my_ bed. In _my_ room… Did we have sex?" a frown creased his features, "I don't recall, but some people are just forgettable like that…" he teased lightly.

Roxas opened his eyes and glared sleepily at Axel, "No one sees the wizard." He snatched the redhead's blanket over his head and lay motionless.

"Oh, come on!" he whined, "Roxy, come on!" he shook him, "I'm tired and cold. You're being cruel."

"You don't know what cruel is," he kicked the red blanket off himself, "fine – I'll just go find elsewhere to sleep." Roxas sat up, but Axel placed a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes met and they stared at each for a long time before Roxas finally sighed and lied back down. He turned on his side and scooted the slightest bit. Just enough for Axel to fit, but he was still _clearly_ taking up most of the bed.

"You know…" he climbed into bed and pulled his blanket over their bodies, "you shouldn't play with fire, Roxy…"

"Are you comparing yourself to fire?" Roxas grumbled, "Because the only thing even remotely fiery about you is the color of the hair around your crotch."

"And the only thing cold about you is your chest…"

"Do wha – Axel!"

The redhead had taken it upon himself to slide his arms around Roxas and then stick his freezing hands into the blonde's night shirt and across his chest. He pressed his cold legs and cold feet against Roxas's warm ones and the more the irritable boy squirmed, the closer Axel held him. They were spooning, sort of – it was definitely progress in Axel's book.

"Mm…" his hands explored the blonde's upper body, "see what happens when you play with fire? You get freezer burned… By the way, your nipples are hard."

"Your hands are cold!" Roxas was blushing a deep shade of red, "you gave me goose bumps…"

"Do I always give you goose bumps?" Axel breathed hotly against his neck.

"No." Roxas felt the hair on his arms rise and betray him, "It's nine in the morning… How can you be this sexual at nine in the morning?" he relaxed in the redhead's arms just the slightest bit. It wasn't so bad now that he had warmed Axel up. Now that there weren't freezing cold body parts sucking the warmth from him, it was kind of nice. But only, -only-, kind of.

"Not sexual," Axel nuzzled his face into Roxas's hair, "flirtatious. Big difference."

"What's the difference?" he leaned his head forward to stop the pleasant feeling of being nuzzled.

"The difference," he squeezed Roxas tighter to his body in response, "is an erection."

"Wow," Roxas sighed, "wouldn't that be a _small_ difference for you, then?"

"You looking to find out?" Axel teased, "Or are you just playing with fire again?"

"You looking to find out?" he mocked, adding an eye roll that the redhead couldn't see, but could _definitely_ hear.

"Yea, actually…" his hands slipped downward toward Roxas's belly-button, "I am…"

Roxas's body was betraying him again. He was getting goose bumps for the third time. Except this time he wasn't getting them because he was cold or because Axel was flirting with his neck. He was getting them because the sudden _thrill_ of the situation had caught up to him. He _was_ playing with fire and he had to be careful. Axel was liable to burn him and Roxas wasn't sure if he could recover from such a burn.

"I just came here to sleep," he shifted, but didn't move the redhead's hands from his lower abdomen, "last night… because of the storm. I probably should go back to my room now, though… It's just raining…"

"It was storming?" his brow furrowed and his fingers ghosted over Roxas's happy trail, "Huh… didn't even notice… So… Are you a blondie down there too?"

"Axel –"

"Just tell me and I'll let you leave if you want," he compromised.

"Fine – yea, I'm blond down there. But I _shave_. Unlike you," he stiffened when he felt the tips of Axel's fingers dip under the waistband of his boxers, "hey, stop… I mean it, Axel…"

It took _all_ of his will-power to slide his hands back up Roxas's body. It took every ounce of him to place his hands across the blonde's ribcage and it was almost physically painful to make himself _not_ play with the younger boy's warm body. It took an amazing amount of self-control to _not_ violate Roxas in the way he wanted to. It took more will power than Axel thought he actually had.

"You can go if you want…" Axel was quite glad they weren't facing each other. His eyes were probably giving him away – probably making him look like some kind of pervert or a rapist. "I'm not going to force you."

"In what way?" Roxas lightly teased.

"Hilarious." Axel mumbled sardonically, "I'm not going to force you in any way. It's not my style."

"I pegged you…" Roxas turned him over to face Axel, causing the redhead to reposition his arms around the smaller boy, "as someone who just takes what he wants."

"Like a rapist?" he raised a brow questioningly.

"No," he gave the smallest smile, "but… you know… Like… Like you'd talk some guy into giving you his virginity just because you want it. And you wouldn't stop talking to him until he gave it to you."

Axel mauled this over for a moment. The description Roxas had offered wasn't completely off. The redhead had taken his fair share of boys' virginities, but it wasn't as if he had gone after them solely for that reason. It seemed to him that Roxas was implying Axel was heartless enough to scam some kid out of his virginity and then never speak to him again. But maybe not… Axel didn't want to fight so he didn't mention it.

"It's not quite like that…" he shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like I _only _go after virgins."

Roxas raised his brows at older boy, "I'm not saying you do. I'm just saying you take what you want."

Axel frowned, "But it's not like that. I don't take. I venture into the realm of taking and give people a chance to tell me no. Am I taking what I want from you right now?" his jade eyes met deep blue ones, "No, because you told me to stop."

The blond didn't like being told he was wrong and he only became further agitated when evidence was provided as to _why_ he was wrong. He gave Axel a look – something between a scowl and a glare – and when he realized he had no rebuttal, he reached out and shoved the redhead off the edge of the bed.

Axel would've been considerably more annoyed if he hadn't yanked Roxas right down with him. The blankets and the pillows came falling down with them and before the redhead could properly reorient himself, he felt Roxas push his hips into his own and he had to suppress the sudden moan that threatened to leave his lips.

"Ass," the blond was on top of Axel and he was trying to push off the blankets and pillows that had fallen on top of them. His cheeks were flushed but from what, the redhead wasn't sure. "You're an ass." Roxas growled. He continued to untangle himself from the bedding and when he was finally free from the mess, he stood up and made a move to leave.

But Axel reached out and grabbed the blonde's small hips and happily took him down to the floor. They struggled briefly, but within a few moments he had dominated Roxas. Axel was obviously the much stronger one of the two. He was more than half a foot taller and he was pretty sure he outweighed the itty-bitty blond.

"Get off," he glared up at Axel. "Seriously. Get off me."

"I don't think so…" he smiled good-naturedly. He had pinned Roxas's hands underneath his knees and he was enjoying watching the irritable boy struggle. "I'll make a deal with you though…"

"Ugh, another one?" he wiggled and squirmed under Axel.

"This one is less serious."

"Ngh… Fine!" Roxas whined and attempted to free his hands, "What is it now?"

"I'll let you go if you admit that you like me," Axel crossed his arms over his chest and his features turned completely serious.

"What? That's stupid." Roxas had stilled under the redhead, "That's really stupid. Wouldn't you rather I say it when I actually mean it?"

As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't.

"Pft, fine," and Axel rolled off the blond and stood. He gathered his red blanket and his pillows and tossed them messily onto his bed. "You can leave…" he didn't look at Roxas because he really didn't want him to see the hurt reflected in his green eyes. He really, really didn't want Roxas to know he cared that much about whether or not the blond liked him.

"Axel…" he stood and watched as the redhead scooprf up his own blanket. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"Hey," he shoved the wadded material roughly into the blonde's arms. "I don't need your stupid pity, okay?"

"It's not pity!" Roxas gripped his blanket tightly and attempted to ignore the guilt spreading through him like wild fire. He could be cold and he could be moody, but he wasn't mean. At least… He didn't try to be mean. And he wasn't trying to hurt Axel.

"It _is_ pity," the redhead walked over to his bedroom door and roughly opened it, "so just leave, okay?"

Roxas hesitated and he looked at Axel. His pretty eyes had narrowed and the blond couldn't ever recall seeing his upstairs tenant this serious. In the car, when they made the deal, there had still been just the slightest hint of playfulness, but now there was just… What? Anger? Hurt? Both?

"Roxas," he growled, "Seriously. I want you to leave."

Slowly, the blond made his way to the door with his head bowed. The words hurt him a lot more than he thought they should and Roxas found he couldn't be angry even though he was being kicked out of the room. He had really stuck his foot in his mouth and… And he'd be just as upset if he realized Axel didn't like him. Roxas considered them, on some weird level, friends.

"Look, Axel," he stood right at the foot of the doorway, "I –"

"Save it."

And with a push to the small of his back, Roxas found he had been somewhat forcibly removed by his severely annoyed tenant.

••••••••••••••

**Things in the **duplex couldn't have been much worse. Sora and Riku's avoidance of every other had grown into hateful, cold looks and occasional outbursts whenever they saw each other. The outbursts were usually short and inexplicit and every time Axel questioned his roommate about what he and Sora were yelling about, he just got a dirty look or a snide remark.

On the other end, Axel had been avoiding Roxas as much as he possibly could. His feelings had been stomped on and while the blond made an effort to apologize and correct the situation, Axel found himself uninterested in what the sassy boy had to say. He couldn't help but stew on the idea that Roxas seriously didn't like him. They had kissed, but then Roxas had told him to out with Demyx. Roxas had been jealous, but refused to admit he cared. Roxas had crawled into Axel's bed and cuddled with him, but then boldly stated he didn't like the feisty redhead. He had signed the contract saying he'd _marry_ Axel, but then he went around acting like the older boy was a pain in his rear end.

Roxas even had had the chance to kiss Axel and he hadn't made a move.

All in all, the redhead felt severely toyed with and it only added to his frustration. Did Roxas like him or didn't he? Axel was feeling rather fed up with the mixed signals. He found he really didn't like it when kisses were followed by shoves. He was reluctant to accept the blonde's apology for that reason. Why would an apology even matter if Roxas was just going to continue to act in the same manner? Axel didn't want to be kissed and shoved. He wanted one or the other – preferably the kisses.

"Only two weeks until school's back in session!" Kairi stated cheerily. She was in the duplex's kitchen cooking pasta and sauce on the stove. She and Naminé had arrived a day or so ago and they were staying at the duplex until they could move into their dorm room. It was the beginning of September and the twins coming to visit was a nice break from the stony silence that usually engulfed the unnaturally quiet home.

"Hey, Roxas, Axel!" she called from the kitchen, "Can you guys come set the table?" she lifted the lid off a pot and stirred the contents inside. Naminé was near her, slicing a loaf of bread into pieces on a cutting board.

"You know they're fighting," Naminé mumbled.

"I know," she smiled to herself and stirred the pot.

There was an awkward moment at the kitchen doorway when Axel and Roxas had both arrived there at the same time. They passed each other cold looks and waited for the other to move.

"Go ahead," Roxas motioned for Axel to go first.

"No, no – ladies first," he replied.

His blue eyes narrowed, "Right – so start walking."

Axel opened his mouth to retort, but Kairi loudly cleared her throat and the redhead reluctantly walked into the kitchen first. He opened up the cabinet nearest the fridge and grabbed out six plates. Roxas went for the silverware drawer and removed six forks and six knives and there was another awkward moment when they went to set the table. More cold looks were passed between them.

Axel set a plate down with a little force.

Roxas mimicked his actions with the silverware.

Green eyes narrowed and he set the next plate down with slightly more force. Roxas mimicked his actions a second time and their eyes locked. They glared heatedly at one another and Axel slammed the third plate down and Roxas just tossed the silverware haphazardly onto the table top.

"What's your problem?" Axel yelled.

"I don't have a problem!" he yelled back.

"Gee," Kairi said loudly, "is something wrong?"

Naminé stifled the smallest of laughs.

"You're a bitch, Roxas!" Axel yelled.

"I'm a bitch? You're the one upstairs sulking! You're the one who won't take the stupid apology!" Roxas yelled.

"You can take your apology and shove it up your –"

Kairi loudly cleared her throat again and both boys stormed from the kitchen. They had a small scuffle at the doorway, but then they both stomped to their respective rooms and slammed the doors behind them.

"Well done," Naminé patted Kairi on the back. "You were so close to finding out what's bothering them."

"Yea…" she sighed and ignored the sarcasm in her sister's voice, "That's okay – Riku! Sora! Will you guys please finish setting the table for dinner?" she called.

Naminé shook her head.

••••••••••••••

**Dinner was a **strained affair. Two chairs had been added to the kitchen table so everyone would fit and Kairi had refused to let anyone eat until everyone was at the table. She had cooked everyone a meal and, damnit, they were all going to sit there and pretend to like each other and enjoy it.

"So," Kairi buttered a piece of bread, "what are you majoring in Axel?"

Roxas mumbled "douchebaggery" under his breath and earned a hard kick under the table. He hissed in pain and shot a glare at Kairi who pretended as if nothing had happened. She smiled politely at Axel, the only boy who she didn't know well, and waited for him to finish glaring at her brother before answering the question.

"Well…" he looked away from Roxas, "I –"

"This is really good, Kai…" Sora forked a bit of pasta, "the sauce… did you use Mom's old recipe?"

She nodded happily, "I found her shoebox of old recipes and Dad said I could take it."

"What?" Roxas looked up from his plate, "You _found _it?" he asked suspiciously, "You just… _happened_ to come upon it? You weren't… you know… _Snooping in my room_?"

Kairi shrugged, "Maybe I was thoughtfully tidying up for you and saw it in there."

"Or maybe you took it." He glared at her and her eyes narrowed.

Naminé and Sora both looked away from their siblings and Riku, who had been silent for most of the meal, excused himself from the table. He rinsed his dish in the sink and placed it into the dishwasher before exiting the room.

Axel wasn't sure if he should feel uncomfortable or not. Riku's sudden absence from the table made him feel as if he was about to intrude on a private moment. He felt he should leave, but curiosity kept him seated.

"It's not like it belonged to you, Roxas…" Kairi said gently, "It was Mom's shoebox."

"But it was in my room!" he stood up from the table and stared daggers at her, "It was in _my_ room, Kairi!"

"All of her old stuff is in _your _room!" she yelled. "It's not fair! You have nearly everything that belonged to her!"

Naminé was looking intently at her plate and Sora was fingering his napkin uncomfortably. Axel wanted to leave, but he didn't want to move. He understood now why Riku had excused himself so quickly. He obviously knew this wasn't just a little spat between siblings.

"I'm the only one that cared enough to take her stuff!" Roxas was gripping the edge of the table.

"No," Naminé had suddenly spoken up, "you were just the first one to get to her stuff…" she was quiet, but her words weren't any less upsetting to Roxas.

"I…" he stammered, "That's not true!" he looked over at Sora for help and even Axel found himself feeling very sorry for Roxas when Sora looked away from him and, instead, looked at both Kairi and Naminé. All three of them exchanged a look and Axel saw the blonde's cheeks suddenly erupt in a pinkish color.

"So now you're all ganging up on me?" he spat.

"We're not ganging up on you, Roxas…" Sora frowned, "But you did take all of mom's stuff after she died. None of us even got a chance to sort through any of it…"

"So?" he scanned the faces of his siblings, "You act like I took all of her stuff and locked it away somewhere!"

"It's all in your room." Kairi's voice had dropped to a lower decibel, but there was an edge to her words. "You're mad because I took her shoebox of recipes. You weren't even using it, Roxas. It was just sitting in your room…"

His glare didn't cease. They were ganging up on him and it was infuriating him. They seldom fought (aside from very small arguments) but they also heavily avoided the subject of their mother. Sora, Kairi, and Naminé had managed to recover healthily from her death, but Roxas seemed very unable to move passed it. It had only been within the last six months that Roxas had _finally_ admitted to himself that his mother was gone and she wasn't coming back. It hadn't been that long ago that he gave up searching for her.

"You don't understand." Roxas glared hatefully at his sister, "I'm so fucking sorry I was able to go through her stuff first!"

"You only got to go first because you didn't go to the funeral!" Sora had stood up from the table and matched the intensity of his twin's glare.

Axel shifted uncomfortably. He felt like he was spying. He felt like he shouldn't have been sitting at the table with them. He was getting a dirty look at what had happened with their mother and it made him feel somewhat guilty. This seemed like a private matter and Axel wanted to leave, but he was kind of afraid to move.

"I deserve her stuff!" Roxas yelled, "I cared about her the most!"

"You did not!" Naminé yelled.

All three siblings looked at her with mild expressions of shock. Axel didn't know Naminé very well, but he knew she was quiet. Quiet compared to the rest of her siblings, anyway. He was beginning to get the feeling that her lack of words was made up for by the intensity and depth of what she had to say. He'd have to ask Roxas sometime, but Axel had the feeling Naminé carefully thought out everything before she said anything.

No one said a word. Kairi and Sora were glaring accusingly at Roxas and Naminé had taken to studying the tablecloth. The fight appeared to be over and as Axel looked from face to face across the table, he suddenly noticed something.

"That's crazy…" he glanced at all their faces again and they all looked at him as if suddenly remembering he was sitting there, "You know… You _all_ have blue eyes."

"… Shut up, Axel."

Wow.  
He'd never been told to 'shut up' in unison before.

••••••••••••••

**"You don't have** to help me…" Kairi smiled at Axel as he helped her clear the kitchen table. After his astute observation, Roxas had stormed out of the kitchen and Sora had offered to take Naminé to the art store so she could get supplies. Axel hadn't known she was an artist. He had seen her carrying around a sketchbook, but he never made the connection.

"I want to," he carried the plates over to the sink and began to rinse them off before putting them into the dishwasher. Kairi was digging plastic containers out from one of the bottom cabinets so she could put away the leftovers.

"Sorry about the fight…" she pulled a large container out of the cabinet, "I forgot you were at the table still. I saw Riku walk off and… I guess I'm not used to having a sixth member at the table."

Axel frowned, "What do you mean?"

Kairi mirrored his look and glanced up at the tall redhead as she began to spoon the sauce and noodles into the container. "Riku used to eat at our house all the time. After our mom died, we'd fight at the table a lot and he'd always excuse himself at the beginning of the fights."

His brows furrowed and he loaded the silverware into the dishwasher, "Why was he eating at your house?"

Kairi looked at him oddly, "Because he used to date Sora. Aren't you guys supposed to be best friends?"

The question made Axel uncomfortable, "We are…" he mumbled unconvincingly.

"Oh, sorry…" she laughed. "I just assumed he didn't keep secrets from you… Do you keep secrets from him?"

He opened his mouth to say yes, but then he thought about it and mumbled 'no.' He supposed Riku didn't have to tell him everything. He supposed Riku was entitled to his own secrets, but… But Axel really didn't have any secrets. He _did_ tell Riku everything, regardless of how big or small. He didn't like to think that Riku's secret-keeping meant they weren't best friends, though. This wasn't middle school. They could keep things from each other and still be best friends…

"Um… Kairi?" he scanned the kitchen to see if anything else needed to be cleaned up, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she put the container of leftovers in the fridge and then leaned her skinny body against the counter top. "What's the question?"

"How come Roxas didn't go to his mom's funeral?"

Kairi looked at Axel for a long time before answering. She crossed her arms over her chest and she shifted uncomfortably for a moment or two. Blue eyes were cast downward and the redhead watched her closely. Maybe it was too forward a question. Maybe he shouldn't have asked, but…

"He wouldn't accept that she had died." Kairi finally answered, "It was…" she paused, "there was more going on that just that, but his inability to accept she had died was definitely a huge chunk of it…" a sigh parted her lips and she looked over at the kitchen table and away from Axel.

He remembered that day in the car when he and Roxas had made the deal...

"_Don't. __It's like exposing Santa Clause as a fraud to a seven year old and then saying 'but no one knows for sure if he's real or not.' It just perpetuates a hope that will eventually come crashing down around you like a million little pieces."_

He looked away from Kairi and suddenly felt embarrassed for asking. He supposed he was being sort of nosey, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to know more about Roxas. Axel figured that maybe they'd get along better if he understood the blond a little better.

"Can I ask you a question now?" she seemed to brighten a little bit and Axel nodded. "Okay – what are you and Roxas fighting about?"

"Oh," his cheeks suddenly turned a very light pink color. Their fight seemed so insignificant right now and he felt stupid talking about it. "Um… He said he didn't like me."

Kairi laughed and Axel rolled his eyes at her.

"Yea, I know. It seems really dumb in the grand scheme of things but –"

"No, no…" she sunk her teeth into her lower lip to keep her laughter in, "It's just... He said you wouldn't accept his apology when you guys were setting the dinner table."

Axel stared at her with a look of complete and total confusion.

"Roxas _never_ says he's sorry, Axel… if he really didn't like you, he wouldn't be trying so hard to get your attention…" Kairi leaned against the counter top and watched the redhead. "If he really didn't like you, trust me – you'd know it. There wouldn't be a doubt in your mind."

"Yea, but –"

"Hey," she interrupted, "trust me. Roxas wasn't always this moody and closed off. Be thankful he's trying to let you in…"

Axel frowned and looked away from her. It sure didn't _feel_ like Roxas was trying to let him in. It felt more like a really shitty board game that contained dice with negative numbers on them. For every step Axel took forward, Roxas was busy taking eight steps back.

••••••••••••••

"**This **_**sucks**_**." Roxas** growled.

Riku wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed. September wasn't normally this warm, but today was starting to seem pretty unbearable. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if their AC unit hadn't broken down sometime during the middle of the night. It figured, though. It had been five days since the incident at the dinner table and things at the duplex had been going somewhat smoothly. Something had to go wrong eventually.

"I agree," Sora groaned. "This sucks."

All six of them were sitting in foldable plastic chairs at the swimming pool near the duplex. It was crowded with people, but Kairi and Naminé had suggested they go for a swim to cool off while their AC unit was being fixed. It helped, somewhat, and it was better than roasting in the duplex, but considering Riku and Sora were still avoiding each other and Axel was still slightly weary of Roxas, the day at the pool was slowly turning into the four of them alternating between bitching about the weather and arguing.

"Just go in the water," Kairi insisted to all four boys. "You'll feel better if you do…"

"That water's dirty."

All five of them looked at Axel with mild expressions of shock. Since when did he care about whether or not something was dirty? He wasn't a slob, per se, but he certainly wasn't anywhere near as finicky as the rest of them. He would go weeks without doing laundry. He would go months without cleaning up his room. Personal hygiene was a completely different story, though. Axel would be hard pressed to leave the house without brushing his teeth and he wouldn't call it a day until he had taken a shower.

"What?" he glared at them, "Don't give me those looks. There's a big difference between my filth at home and the filth of strangers. There's piss in that water and… and look, see? Look at that really fat guy over there." He pointed and they all turned at once, "Don't all look at once!" Axel hissed, "geez… But do you see him?" they all hesitated, unsure if they should look again. "Imagine the last time he cleaned his balls or the folds of his –"

"Okay, okay!" Kairi gave him a look, "Now no one wants to go in the pool. Thanks, Axel."

There was a sarcastic murmur of 'yea, thanks' from the other young adults.

"God, if we're gonna bake in the sun, can we at least do it in the comfort of our home?" Roxas slid his sunglasses from his face and stood up.

"Oh, come on…" Kairi frowned, "You guys are the whiniest set of men I've ever seen."

Riku put his arms behind his head and shrugged, "Hey, I'm not whining."

"But you're already on my family's shitlist for life. You're automatically irritating to me no matter what you do." Kairi politely explained.

Riku rolled his eyes and Sora looked away from him, the smallest of smiles evident on his features.

"Hey – why is Riku on the shitlist for your whole family?" Axel sat up in his foldable chair and looked at Kairi and Naminé.

"No one tell him!" Riku suddenly yelled.

All four quadruplets exchanged looks with each other and then they looked from Axel (who looked really indignant and annoyed) to Riku (who looked extremely panicked). They looked back at each other and then Sora stood and mumbled something about going to take a dip in the pool. He shed his shirt from his body and made his way over toward the diving board.

"Don't eye-rape him," Kairi somewhat playfully hit Riku's arm. "He's not yours to eye-rape."

"Thanks for reminding me, Kai…" he sighed and stood up, making his way over to the edge of the pool and sliding in.

"Want me to embarrass or insult you two?" she looked over at Roxas and Axel, "Or are you gonna save me the trouble and just go ahead and get in the pool?"

They looked at each other and then they both stood and ambled off, grumbling to themselves about the weather and the dirty pool and then grumbling about Kairi.

"Having fun bossing people around?" Naminé asked teasingly. She was drawing something in her notebook and the heat wasn't really bothering her. She had been quite content in the duplex, but she had come along for the antics that she knew would ensue.

"I'm not bossing them around…" Kairi craned her neck slightly to check where everyone was. "We're playing a game called 'Do What I Say or I'll Emotionally Abuse You' and they're all having a great time. They just don't know it yet."

She grinned at Naminé and her twin shook her head, a smile evident on her pretty features.

"I know how to have fun," Roxas grumbled. He and Axel were waiting in a line of people so they could jump off the diving board. "We just don't find the same things fun…"

"Right," Axel nodded, "because your idea of fun is brooding alone in your room. And my idea of fun is meeting people and –"

"Getting laid."

Jade eyes narrowed and he turned away from the blond. He crossed his arms over his chest and stepped forward slightly as the line moved.

"I'm just kidding with you." Roxas whined, "Don't be like that. I'm playing."

"Nope. We're not friends anymore," Axel replied teasingly.

"Well… fine! I don't wanna be your friend," he played along.

"Well fine," he stuck his behind out and shook it at Roxas. "That's what I think of you."

The blond stared, completely struck by the immaturity of the redhead. No words came to his mouth and instead he began to stammer. How the fuck was he supposed to respond to that? No one had ever shaken their ass at him before.

"My ass tends to have that effect on people." Axel flirted. "Just imagine what kind of reaction my front gets."

"Do they gasp at the shortness of it? Do girls come up and mention how cute it is?" Roxas teased.

"Hey," he turned to Roxas, "I'm not the one afraid to go out and get laid."

He raised a brow, "Sounds to me like you're compensating. If you were really confident in the size of your dick, you wouldn't feel the need to go out and tag random ass."

"Or," Axel slung an arm around the blonde's shoulder, "Or I just know it would be sinful to keep such an amazing gift from God all to myself."

"I really don't think God would appreciate you semi-blaming him for your overactive sex life." Roxas slipped from under the redhead's arm.

Axel snorted, "Please – if God didn't want me to have sex he wouldn't have given me a dick."

Roxas opened his mouth to respond, but instead he mumbled, "It's your turn."

The redhead climbed up onto the diving board and waited for some of the children to clear out of the way. He surveyed the pool briefly with a small smile lining his features. He and Roxas were getting along again and he was really quite pleased. Things had been going okay and Axel was starting to feel that maybe Kairi had been right. Maybe Roxas really did like him and the blond just had trouble coming to terms with his feelings.

"Hey, Axel?" he heard Roxas say. "How confident are you?"

His brows furrowed and he opened his mouth to respond, but then stopped. What kind of question was that? He went to look over his shoulder at the blond, to ask what he meant, when he felt two hands grip the legs of his shorts and pull downward.

And suddenly, Axel was flashing the whole entire swimming pool.

Cheeks heated and he quickly yanked his swim shorts back up. The people who had noticed (mostly those in the deeper end of the pool and around the diving board area) pointed and exchanged looks of amusement or shock. Roxas had gotten a decent look at Axel's behind and he was blushing. Axel had a really nice ass. He also had a large scar spanning the length of his left cheek.

The pool seemed rather silent and both Axel and Roxas stood on the diving board. He was absolutely mortified, way too mortified to move, and he stood there, torn between jumping into the pool and playing the whole thing off or hitting Roxas in the face. Both sounded really, really tempting. Had he not just flashed a large group of people, Axel would've been able to think clearly.

"Jump, firecrotch!" someone yelled.

"Shut up!" Axel's face burned red and he heard Roxas stifle a laugh behind him.

"Come on, firecrotch, we don't have all day!"  
"Yea, either whip your shorts off again or jump!"  
"Your face is starting to rival the color of your pubes!"

Axel's face burned even redder from embarrassment and two things quickly happened. He turned and shoved Roxas, hard, into the deep end of the pool, and then he dived off the board and ignored the calls of 'firecrotch' and screech of the lifeguard's whistle.

He didn't surface until he was somewhere in the five foot end where Riku was sitting on the edge of the pool. His feet were in the water and he was smirking to himself.

"Nice dick."

"Shut up," Axel growled. "It's not funny."

"No, it's not."

Riku turned and Axel looked up at a very tall, serious-looking man. He had a scar running in a slant across the bridge of his nose and he looked thoroughly agitated. His eyes looked from Riku to Axel and then he looked across the pool in search of Roxas. In his hands, he was holding a pad of paper and a pen and he began to scribble something down.

Axel and Riku exchanged looks.

"Who are you?" the redhead stared.

"Officer Leonhart. I'm giving you a ticket for indecent exposure."

His mouth propped open, "_What_?"

"There are a lot of children here today and I don't appreciate your kind of humor."

"I didn't pull my shorts down, though! My stupid, idiot, fuck of a roommate did it!" Axel growled.

"Are you taking a tone with me?" Officer Leonhart looked at the redhead coldly. "Would you like another ticket for insubordination?"

"You can't ticket me for insubordination!" he argued.

Riku began to slowly inch away from them. He wanted no association with Axel at the moment. The redhead was going to end up getting himself arrested and Riku knew, somehow, he'd end up in jail too, right next to his stupid, mouthy best friend. He had already been to jail once with Axel and once had certainly been enough.

"I can give you a citation for just about anything," he stated coldly.

"Pft," Axel rolled his eyes, "you should give yourself a ticket for being a douche."

Officer Leonhart's eyes narrowed considerably, "Okay," he ripped the public indecency ticket from the binding and handed it to Axel. "And…" he began to write another ticket and Axel's jaw dropped. He was being charged $300 dollars because Roxas had made him flash a pool full of people.

"And this is for being a rude shit," he dropped the second citation in front of Axel. "You can go to court and fight the tickets if you want, kid, but it's easier to pay the fine. It's my word against your word."

The redhead felt his eye twitch and he crumpled both tickets angrily.

"Next time, keep your pants around your waist."

Officer Leonhart walked away and Axel felt the anger bubbling in his chest. He gripped both tickets tightly in his hands and when Riku decided to inch back over, he had to hide the fact that he had been laughing. Why was Axel's misfortune always _so_ hilarious to his supposed "best friend" anyway?

"He SERIOUSLY wrote on here 'for being a rude shit'!" Axel exclaimed as he examined the second citation, "He can't do that!"

Riku was practically grinning, "No. He can't."

Axel gave him a seething look and Riku began to laugh all over again.

Maybe Kairi was right. Maybe they weren't best friends.

••••••••••••••

**They had left** the pool at the request of the lifeguards and pool staff after the incident on the diving board. Axel, who had been dubbed 'firecrotch' by everyone in the age range of ten to 23, had had his photo taken and was banned from the pool until next summer. They also took Roxas's photo and he had been banned too.

Well, at least now they had something in common.

Axel, Riku, and Sora were sitting in the bed of Roxas's pick-up. The blond was driving them back to the duplex and Kairi and Naminé were sitting together in the front seat. The redhead and Roxas were currently not on speaking terms. Because of Roxas, Axel had been issued two tickets (only one really being the blonde's fault), had been dubbed 'firecrotch' by a large group of strangers, and was now banned from the pool until next summer.

"At least summer's almost over anyway…" Sora offered somewhat helpfully. "And what you did to Roxas's hand was sort of payback…" he frowned.

"What?" Axel raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"When you pushed him off the diving board… He was too close to edge of the pool and he scraped his hand all down the side of the concrete…" the brunet explained. "It looks worse than it really is."

Axel crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. What in the world had possessed Roxas to yank his shorts down? How had he even processed that thought without thinking about the consequences? Axel drew the conclusion that the blond either thought he was so much of a skank, he didn't mind having his dick shown to strangers or Roxas just hadn't been thinking at all.

Either way, Axel was seriously pissed.

"So…" Sora's eyes glanced at the redhead's crotch. "That's a lot of red down there. Why don't you shave it?"

"Oh, come on!" he groaned and put a hand over his face. "You saw it too?"

"I-I looked away REALLY quickly!"

Sora couldn't tell who was giving him the bigger look – Axel or Riku.

"I-I'm just saying…" the brunet continued, ignoring the looks he was being given, "If you shaved it, no one could call you firecrotch."

"No one should be calling me firecrotch to begin with!" Axel was totally exasperated, "No one should even KNOW I have red hair down there! I don't care if they assume! But it's my business and I don't need everyone knowing about it!"

Riku and Sora exchanged a look. This was probably the longest they had been together without fighting in quite a while. Axel's humiliation was sort of bringing them together in a weird, semi-roundabout way.

"I'm so mad…" he shook his head. "I'm so pissed off."

"It's not so bad," Sora reached out and patted Axel reassuringly on the back, "It's just your dick… and your pubes…" he paused, "your red, red,_**red**_ pubes."

Riku stifled a laugh and Axel swatted the brunet's hand away.

"Shut the hell up!" he growled.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" but Sora was clearly trying to hold back a smile.

His jade eyes narrowed and he glared hatefully at both of them. Axel was quite relieved when the truck pulled into the driveway and he was finally free to go and lock himself in his room.

What a horrible day.

••••••••••••••

_**Heard what happened **__at the pool today. Kind of wish I had been there. ;)  
-Demyx_

Axel went slightly slack jawed at the message. He had come up to his room all of five minutes ago (the door locked so as to avoid everyone in the duplex) and the text message from Dem had shocked him. The flashing had only taken place maybe an hour and a half ago, if that, and Demyx already knew about it. What the hell?

He dialed the blonde's number and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?"

"How do you know about that? It happened all of… Jesus Christ! Eleven seconds ago!" Axel threw himself down on his bed and groaned. His bed and blanket smelled like Roxas still. It smelled like strawberries and vanilla and he found the scent rather soothing.

"I got a text from my friend who was at the pool," he laughed into the phone, "Why are you so freaked out?"

"Because I flashed an assload of strangers, got ticketed for indecent exposure, and then ticketed _again_ for mouthing off, and oh, yea, I got banned from the pool…" he sighed and crawled under his blanket. The AC unit was definitely working again and the heat of the day had subsided into a slightly cool evening.

"I heard Roxas ripped your shorts off."

"He pulled them down my legs," Axel growled. "He didn't _rip _them from my body."

Demyx laughed, "Man, you're tense."

"…Sorry. I guess I forgot how therapeutic it is to have a bunch of strangers calling you firecrotch."

"So you _are_ a firecrotch!" he said triumphantly.

"Yea, mystery solved, Scooby-Doo. Maybe you and the gang can go find another mystery to solve."

"Aww, come on…" Demyx cooed, "Don't be like that, Ax… Do you want me to come over?"

He mauled this over for a moment. He was torn because part of him really _did_ want Demyx to come over and the other part wanted him to come over because he knew how badly it would piss Roxas off. Considering Roxas had just thoroughly humiliated him, making him jealous seemed like a really tame form of revenge.

"Yea… Yea, I would, Demy. That'd be great."

By the time Demyx made his way over to the duplex, Axel had showered and shoved a pair of low-rise jeans over his legs. He didn't bother with boxers or a shirt because he figured the less dressed he was, the more annoyed Roxas would be.

The redhead was halfway down the stairs when Roxas went to open the front door. His eyes narrowed the slightest bit when he saw Dem and he stopped himself from saying "why are you here?" Roxas really had to remember that they were, on some level, friends and Demyx really was a nice guy. Axel was the jerk. Not Demyx.

"Hey, Demy…" Axel ignored Roxas and pulled the young musician into the foyer. He grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers, eyes subtly glancing over to see if Roxas had noticed.

He had.  
And he looked pissed.

"Axel?" Roxas stopped the couple before they ran up the stairs. "Can we talk?"

"Maybe later," he replied coldly, eyes locking with Roxas's own for a brief moment. "Demy's going to help me unwind." He winked at his duplex-mate and Axel wasn't really sure who had blushed more – Demyx or Roxas.

••••••••••••••

**"These are funny**…" Demyx was flipping through Axel's notebook and reading the short fables he had written so far. "I really like them… What are you doing this for?" he looked up briefly at his shirtless friend.

"Uh… just something to do…" he lied somewhat smoothly. "Don't you… I dunno… write songs or… whatever sometimes?"

He laughed gently and then glanced up at Axel, "Oh, sure…" he was laying stomach-down on the redhead's bed, "But I'm a terrible song writer. I'm too lazy to even compose a whole song…" his tongue flicked out to lick the tip of his finger and he turned a page in the notebook:

_A rooster clucking at dawn caught sight of a beautiful hen across the fields of an open farm. He approached her and asked her, "Dear hen, would you fancy a round of unprotected sex with me?" and the hen, having long admired the rooster, clucked her agreement. So the hen and the rooster went off into the barn and did unspeakable things to each other's feathered bodies. Once the deeds were done, the rooster promised to be with the hen forever. A few days later, the hen discovered she was pregnant and when she went to tell the rooster of her misfortune, he was gone. The hen then realized she had been abandoned by her baby's daddy._

Moral: Always practice safe sex lest you end up pregnant with some fatherless bastard.

Demyx laughed slightly, "You're not expecting kids some day, huh?"

Axel walked over to his bed and laid stomach-down next to the musician. "Nope. Not unless I knock up some boy…" he shrugged his shoulders and his eyes scanned Demyx's handsome features. "I mean… I guess if I got really, really, really, really, really, _really _wasted and slept with some chick, I could have a kid."

Demyx gave Axel an amused look, "That's beautiful, Ax."

He shrugged his shoulders and bit back a smile.

The blond turned the page and began to read another fable:

_A wolf approached the lakeside with her pack of cubs and told them to drink. They had been traveling through the woods for days and the cubs had become quite restless. The wolf had been trying tirelessly to protect her young from various predators and she had been trying to find a safer place for her and her cubs to live. She had sacrificed much of her adult life and much of her wolfish fun for her children, but she knew in her heart that, one day, all of her struggle would be worth it when her cubs grew into striking young wolves. As she contemplated the kind of wolves they would be, she failed to notice her cubs sneak up behind her and shove her into the lake. When she cried for help and asked for her cubs to save her, they merrily played along the shore and ignored the woes of their mother._

Moral: Kids are ungrateful bastards who will leave their parents high and dry.

"Man… you and bastard children," he playfully elbowed Axel, "got some repressed memories there? Something going on in your subconscious?"

The redhead ran his fingers lazily through Demyx's Mohawk. "I wish. I could use it as an excuse to act however I please."

He nuzzled against the touch, "Don't you act however you want anyway?"

"I censor myself…" Axel mumbled.

"… When you first met me, you told me you'd be willing to pay for my ass. And then you talked about your dick." Demyx looked quite amused.

"Yeaaaa," the redhead smirked, "but I could've said something much worse. I could've said 'you're extremely attractive. Please let me bend you over and fuck you senseless' but I didn't."

Demyx was blushing and he wasn't at all embarrassed by it. "Instead you just alluded to all of that."

"I could be blunt," he leaned in and kissed the blond briefly, "or I could be flirtatious and charming…"

"Or, you know… you could just be on top of me."

"Yea, or I could be inside of you."

Their eyes met and it was Demyx who closed the gap between them. It was Demyx who opened his mouth for Axel's warm tongue. It was Demyx who broke their kiss to remove his own shirt. And it was Demyx who went down on Axel's throbbing erection.

The redhead's notebook had been carelessly pushed from the bed and it fell, open-faced, to the wooden floor. It had fallen open to a fable that had been penned in red ink instead of black and the title read "The Lion, The Lioness, and the Seemingly Impossible Circumstance." It was the first fable Axel had ever written and it was the fable he had written after Roxas had given him the idea for his book:

_A lion walked through the forest proudly. He was a handsome, charismatic lion who was greatly adored and loved by all the animals within their kingdom. He had many friends and many acquaintances, but the lion was quite lonely for he had no one to call his own. One day, he came upon a beautiful lioness who was sunning herself upon a rock. The lion thought, "I shall make her my own for she is the most beautiful lioness I have ever laid my green eyes upon." As he approached her, the lioness eyed him suspiciously and she became very guarded as he began to speak. "Oh, dear lioness. You seem so lonesome… What does a lion have to do to be with someone as special as you?"  
And the clever lioness replied, "When your fur is that of a zebra's, I will be yours and you may call me your own." Then she hopped down from her rock and left the lion by himself.  
And though it seemed impossible, the lion knew better than to just give up. So he called upon his friends and asked them to paint his fur in black and white stripes. After four days of painstaking work, the lion's fur resembled that of a zebra's and when he approached the lioness's rock, she smiled at him and said, "Oh, dear lion… You must be greatly in love with me to put yourself through such toil. You have won my heart and now you may call me your own."  
And the lion smiled because his days of loneliness were no more._

Moral: Even the impossible is possible when it comes to true love.

* * *

**Author's Note**: This was really, really hard to write and I believe it's because it's a transition chapter. It's a chapter that sets up the next chapter. I rewrote this three times. Like… fully rewrote it. Like hit backspace a whole lot and rewrote it. This was terrible.

I think it was so hard because it's pretty difficult to keep the chapters in their current feelings. I try to make time pass (the next chapter they'll finally start school) so their feelings have time to kind of… sort out? Like if you're mad at someone on Monday, you probably won't be as mad a month from that Monday.

The first time I wrote this, Axel had kicked Naminé's teeth out of her face (literally). The second time I wrote this, Riku and Sora had a rendezvous in Sora's bedroom. The third time I wrote this, Axel had sexually assaulted Roxas's dad. The fourth time I wrote this, it came out like this. And I think this is okay. It's not great, but it's all right. I finally got a chance to integrate Kairi and Naminé, I got to introduce Leon (I FINALLY found a spot for him and Cloud), and the tables turn as Axel gets pissy with Roxas.

I really, really don't want things to move too quickly, but it's pretty effing difficult to have dialogue between a bunch of people that try so hard to avoid/dislike each other. Originally, Demyx wasn't going to have a part in this chapter, but I think he fit in nicely at the end and I think he's going to help pick the next chapter up.

I already have plans for Zexion and him toward the end of the story and in order for that all to work out, Demyx had to have a bigger role in the beginning of the story.

**Anyway – next chapter… Some of it is already written (but I might rewrite it), but I don't know when I'll be able to finish it. I have guests at my house right and because they're MY guests, I can't ditch them (poop). So I'll try and have it up before August (hopefully before the end of July), but I don't know. Keep checking for updates, though. I'll try not to leave you guys hanging.**

Please ignore any small (large?) errors. I'm being impatient / don't want to make you guys wait any longer (it's been THREE WEEKS) so I'm posting this without letting my beta edit it. I'm a tool.

Okay, okay. I'll stfu now.

**Thank You for Reviewing**

**Daydreamishly**: I wanted to experiment with Axel x Demyx as a couple. I also wanted to experiment with Demyx himself because he seems to get portrayed as really, really stupid in a LOT of stories. I don't think Demyx is stupid, I think he's just a really lazy guy who acts dull to avoid having to do work. I also think he gets portrayed as stupid because he isn't as witty / sharp as the other Org. members. I had him and Axel go on the date because Roxas wouldn't tell him not to and that was kind of Axel's passive aggressive way of expressing (er… not expressing) his irritation. I probably should've clarified that a little better…  
Yeaaa… I felt Axel didn't have much substance in the first chapter. He was just kind of the handsome, flirtatious playboy and I thought giving him an artistic side would help give him a little depth. I was also having trouble deciding between Axel as a scientist or an artist. The general idea seems to be "oh, he loves fire, therefore he must be good at chemistry" but I find a lot of (serious) chemists are uptight, competitive folks who are super-duper anal. I think if Axel were to go into the field of chemistry, he'd be really annoyed with the people around him. I think he'd eventually set fire to the chemistry lab and that would end his career as a chemistry major.  
I appreciate you saying you didn't see anything wrong with the story. I've been really hunting for a beta because English isn't my first language. Don't get me wrong – I've been in American schools for a long time and I've spoken English for a long time, but I've had to work super-duper hard at English grammar (which is a ridiculous system of rules and their exceptions). Because it isn't my first language, I feel really stupid whenever I make mistakes. A beta also releases me from the duty of having to sit here with a grammar book and examine all my sentences.  
Anyway – this is very long. Sorry.

**TopHatGlow**: My writing would marry you too if it could! =] Yea – I reeeeeally wanted to rush things this chapter… I'm dying for them to love on each other. However, I imagine Roxas to be pretty hard-headed and I figure once he decides he feels a certain way about something, it would take an act of Congress to make him say otherwise. I imagine Roxas to be someone who stifles his feelings in order to keep his pride from taking a hit. I think he'd absolutely loathe being told "I told you so" ESPECIALLY by someone as cocky as Axel.

**Dare or No Dare**: I laughed when you said my story was sexy. Usually people use adjectives like "good" or "cool" or sometimes "poopy," but never sexy. Yea, grammar and I weren't always friends, so I can relate to Axel's lack of knowledge. When I was learning grammar I had a hard time keeping names on things. I would circle words like 'red' and write 'adverb' under it. English is such a non-economical language. It has a word for _everything_ and _everything _has to be stated in a sentence. You can't just say "What you think?" you have to say "What are you thinking?"  
Russian actually has no "to be" verb and when you're speaking to someone, you only use words like "I" or "her/his/my" once during the whole conversation. You'd never say "I'm an American. I'm a student. I'm five feet tall. I'm a chemistry major" in Russian. You'd just say "I'm an American. Student. Five feet tall. Chemistry major" and sometimes you don't even say "I" at the beginning because it's implied you're talking about yourself.  
Yes! I agree. Good plot development is much better than smut (usually), but a perverted part of me thoroughly enjoys writing smut. Though, I do have trouble putting out one-shots that are _solely_ smut. That just seems kind of lazy (unless it's Valentine 's Day or some other such nonsense).

**Keuraki-SoraXRiku: **Your advice is excellent. I never figured chapter length could deter folks from reading a story. I personally hate long chapters, but I'm exceptionally lazy and I like to think people aren't anywhere near as lazy as I am.  
Thank you for the complement on my style. I'm really influenced by Chuck Palahniuk and some of my older one-shots probably reveal that. Sometimes I feel like I take way too much time describing things and what I'm describing is never as clear in my head as it is on paper. I like my sentences to have impact, too. I like it when small statements or little words hit people hard. It's like having your ass whopped by a little person. You don't see it coming, but when it happens you feel thoroughly distraught afterwards.

**RennyWasHere**: How many authors make Roxas out to be submissive? I mean, aside from sex (because we all know he's catcher), I don't see him being submissive. I _do_ see Roxas crying though. But I think he'd have to be really, really, REALLY upset about something and it would have to be something that had been going on for a while. I imagine him to bottle things up and I imagine, at some point, the bottle has to release the pressure. I don't know. I guess I just like Roxas as brooding and moody, but not in an "I hate the world" way. More like an "I hate you! …Okay, no… Not really." kind of way. You're not an ass, by the way, I _thoroughly _enjoy abusing Axel.

**Khuronji**: A surprise indeed. I wouldn't mind waking up next to Roxas, provided he was real and I _wasn't_ going crazy. Actually – strike that. I'd rather wake up next to Axel – hello early morning screwing.  
… Okay, that was nerdy. And it shows how lonely I am. Please ignore my shame.

**Muffin**: I'm really glad you think I portray everyone well. I'm really terrified of having OOC characters because I know it can REALLY take away from the story. I added the twist between Sora-Roxas-Riku because I think it'll give me a chance to play with Axel when he's upset. That, and it's kinda boring to have Riku and Sora like each other and then Roxas and Axel like each other and then they all date and blahblahblah. Snore. I bored myself. I also added Demyx because I wanted to play with his character. I thought the added sexual tension would be nice too.  
The banter between Riku and Axel is especially hard to write. It flows between Roxas and Axel, but that's because they're borderline flirting or insulting each other. With Riku and Axel, I want it to be… more like how two straight guys might talk to each other. I don't want any weirdness between them other than the weirdness I inject for plot purposes. I really can't see Axel and Riku together and I view their relationship as really, really platonic (well, when I write them).  
Yea, docking is pretty disturbing. I swear I don't know by experience. I just watch a lot of television (Tosh.O).

**Aindel S. Druida: **I always fuck up my passwords. I can never remember them because every single website requires me to have some different variation of a password I already have. Like now you have to have numbers and symbols in your password and whatever other shit.  
I actually noticed that my characters kind of bounce off each other the way sitcom characters do. I do love sitcoms… I've got a soft spot for _The Nanny_ (err… Fran Drescher) and _Roseanne_. NOT _Wings_ or _Who's the Boss?_ though. I hate those shows so much. But anyway – I think this story is heavily influenced by late night sitcoms. I don't know. When I see it in my head, I always see it as sitcom-ish with a laugh track going off in the background…  
Of coooourse Sora and Riku will get together. Finally figured out how to work CloudxLeon in (I like characters that don't need tons of dialogue) and I want to do Zexion and Demyx, but I need to figure out how to fit it all in without this turning into a HUGE circle of unrequited love. Like Zexion likes Demyx, but Demyx likes Axel, but Axel likes Roxas, but Roxas is stubborn. Oh, and then Riku likes Sora, but Sora's still mad at Riku and blahblahblah. It's a work in progress.  
Hey! A beta! Woohoo! I have someone else who offered to beta for me, but can I have two betas? Is that cheating? If you're work schedule is hectic, would it be wise to have two betas? I'm interested in you beta-editing for me, though. That sounds fabulous (hindsight – probably should've said something to you before right now… Sorry).

**CattyCoopster**: You know… Before I read this review, I was thinking about what, exactly, Axel would write in his little 'dedicated to' section of his book… And then you requested he write a dedication. Spectacular – my readers and I are all on the same page! Yea, I think it would be really, really cute for Axel to have a little portion set aside for Roxas. I'm leaning more toward loving / cheesy (possibly inappropriate).  
You sound so down in your review. But you should cheer up! When I feel down, I walk through the second story of department stores and push children down the escalators.  
… Okay, not really. But it sounds pretty fun, right? Like… you know… little Timmy takes a tumble… Never mind.

**Sana-chan9**: I was looking through some of my old stories and their reviews and I didn't realize that you've reviewed my other stuff before. It makes me warm when I see that because then I feel like I have a fan (which is cute). Yeeees. Axel humiliates himself with Roxas's help. Their relationship is a vicious circle of 'we're okay – we're fighting – we're okay – we're fighting.' I think Zexion will eventually come into the story. Actually – I know he will. I just haven't decided how much or when he'll make an appearance, but I'm pretty sure he'll play a semi-big role toward the end of the story.  
I've got plans for Zexion and Demyx.

**Loves Ironic Tragedy:** All right! You've read most of my stories! I don't really expect anyone to read anything that was written earlier than _Sorry, Mom_. _Sorry, Mom_ was the first story I ever sat down and authored myself. The ones before that I dictated to one of my friends and she typed them up for me. At that point, I was pretty shaky on my English grammar / English speaking and she had to fill in the blanks when I mumbled incomplete sentences that didn't make a lot of sense (I didn't enjoy using pronouns). Anyway – I wrote _Sorry, Mom_ when I was slightly more confident about my English and after I had piled through nearly all of Chuck Palahniuk's books. Yep.


	4. He Dates, He Parties, He Cheats, He

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Woohoo! _Axel's Fables_ is now in a C2 (called Yaoi Galore). Thank you very much, Amaia-Sinblood, for placing this story in your C2.  
Some Axel x Roxas fluff in this chapter, a little bit of friendship between Riku and Roxas, and the development of Axel's relationship with Naminé and Demyx.

Thanks for being patient everyone!

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

IV – He Dates, He Parties, He Cheats, He Draws

**He was falling.**

He knew it was just a dream, but he couldn't wake up and he was falling from the sky. They were always vivid and usually infrequent, but tonight he was tossing and turning in his sleep and he couldn't wake himself from his dreams.

He never hit the ground. He landed on the wing of a plane and he could see the passengers through the windows. He could see his mom. He could see her doing her crossword puzzle and he could see her reach up and adjust the air vent above her. He wanted to reach out, he wanted to touch her, but he didn't want to let go of the wing. And he knew it was a dream. A cruel, cruel dream.

"Roxy?" she waved to him from the window of the plane, "What are you doing out there? Come inside…"

And so he did.

He crawled along the wing of the plane and slipped through the window. He took a seat next to her and she looked at him with adoration and love. She looked exactly as he remembered her and when he reached out to touch her, her skin felt soft. When she smiled at him, he was reminded of Naminé and when she reached out to cup his cheek lovingly, he was reminded of Sora. Her hair was auburn, like Kairi's. Her eyes were a deep, deep blue. She was beautiful. She had always been beautiful.

"Where are you going?" he was staring at her. He knew this was a dream, but waking up meant he wouldn't be with her anymore. He knew it was a dream and he knew this wouldn't last. "_Why_ are you going?"

"Sometimes grown-ups have to leave," she folded her crossword puzzle up and stuffed it under her seat. She then reached over and buckled Roxas's seatbelt for him. "Sometimes grown-ups have to leave even when they don't want to."

Turbulence rocked the plane and Roxas gripped the arms of his seat. He watched his mother buckle her own seatbelt and just as he heard the click, the 'fasten seatbelt' light came on above them.

"No one is making you go…" He was panicked and he was breathing quickly.

"No…" She seemed very content, "I suppose not, but I'd like to keep my job…" She smiled at her son and then brushed a bit of blond hair from his face. More turbulence rocked the plane.

"But what about us?" Roxas looked up at her, "What about me?" he asked very, very quietly.

"Roxy…" she cooed. "You know I'm coming back. You know I'd never leave you…" He felt her soft, long fingers run through his hair. "You know I love you. You know I'd never leave you."

"The plane's going to crash." Roxas gripped the arms of his seat as the plane went into a nosedive. His feet pressed against the floor and his heart felt as if it were going to burst from his chest. "Mom, the plane's going to crash…"

"I know, Roxy…"

The oxygen masks were released from their compartments. Very quickly she reached up and began to apply Roxas's mask to his face. He struggled against her, but she was forceful and once it was over his mouth and he breathed deep, he felt better. He knew this was a dream, but that didn't make this any less painful. His stomach was lurching. His heart felt as if it was going to explode.

She didn't apply her own mask. Instead, she pulled out her crossword and began to fill in the little boxes. Out of fear and panic, he didn't reach up to help her. He was confused and he felt like he was suffocating. The oxygen bag was inflating, but he felt like he was suffocating.

"You were always my favorite," she crossed her legs and smiled warmly at Roxas.

They had to be close to crashing. They had to be close to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut and he gripped the arms of the chair. He was going to suffocate and his mother was going to die.

He was falling all over again. His surroundings melted away and he was falling all over again. It was a slow, easy kind of fall and he wondered, briefly, if maybe death was something like this. He could breathe again, but not well. The panic and fear in his chest had been replaced by sadness and he felt guilty for leaving his mother behind in the plane. Even if this was just a stupid dream, he felt so incredibly guilty.

"You're okay…"

Arms – just two arms – snaked their way around his body and he was being pulled out of his fall. The darkness around him faded and he was in his room surrounded by all of his mother's stuff. He was in his room and he was being held very, very tightly by someone who smelled something close to fire.

"You're okay now…"

Someone whose voice soothed all his worries. A voice that caused the sadness and guilt to float easily from his chest. Soft, long fingers ran through his hair. Fingers that felt suspiciously like his mother's, but he knew better. She was gone. Even in his dream, she was gone.

"Axel…" Roxas was clutching at the redhead, gripping him and burying his face against his chest. He was shaking, but he wasn't crying. He wasn't angry. He wasn't… He wasn't anything. He felt safe, though. And he felt warm.

"It's okay… You're okay, Roxy…" He gently ran a hand down his back, "I've got you."

Roxy… That special name that his mother had made up for him. That little nickname that had always set him apart from his brother and sisters. The same name that so easily rolled off Axel's tongue without provocation. A name that Roxas had never, ever uttered to the redhead, but a name Axel just instinctively knew.

His eyes fell closed and he knew this was a dream. He knew this was a dream, but that didn't make him feel any less close to the redhead. It was all a dream, vivid and frightening, but it wasn't real.

He awoke with a start.

He was sweaty and he was breathing heavily and he was shaking the slightest bit. He sat up in bed and he looked around the room for something, but he wasn't sure what. He could hear Sora's soft snores beside him and when his eyes found the digital clock, he saw it was only six in the morning. He had only gotten to bed around midnight, but he was wide awake and he knew he couldn't go back to sleep.

He pulled the blankets and sheets off and left his bedroom. He crept quietly through the living room because Naminé and Kairi were sleeping on the pull out together and then he tip-toed up the steps to the upper floor of the duplex and entered the second story living room. It was dark in their living area aside from the smallest bit of light coming in through the windows. It was at least another hour or so before sunrise, but the sky was already taking a lighter tint.

Roxas quietly closed the door behind himself and he walked toward the redhead's door. He hesitated before he turned the knob. He was afraid. He and Axel had barely spoken since the pool incident. The redhead was either with Demyx or just plainly not around the duplex. According to Riku, Axel had started working again (he held some weird job that he never gave an apt description for) and the redhead and Demyx had also become somewhat serious.

Roxas didn't believe they were dating. He'd have to hear it straight from Axel before he believed it.

"Don't bother," Riku said quietly as he walked toward the blond.

"What? Why?" Roxas asked.

"Axel isn't around. I think he slept over at Demyx's house. They have their first class together…"

Hurt spread through his chest and he felt momentarily ill. Sadly, he released the knob and he looked away from Riku. He was embarrassed. He didn't know why, but he felt stupid and he felt hurt and he felt very, very lonely. His dream had left him feeling… Feeling like maybe he needed some comfort.

And he was hoping to get it from Axel, even if they weren't exactly talking.

But Roxas should've known better. They started school today. Naminé and Kairi were still staying with them at the duplex because they were reluctant to move back into their old dorm room. Both girls found they rather liked the antics in the duplex and they both found themselves very taken with Axel. It was also nice being so close to their brothers again.

"What's wrong?" Riku whispered to him.

"Nothing…" he lied.

Riku knew he was going against his better judgment, especially because he wanted to be with Sora, but Roxas looked sad and Riku couldn't help himself. Why did they have to look so alike? Why in the world did he have such a soft heart when it came to both of them?

"You can talk to me…" Riku placed a hand on his shoulder, "If you want, I mean… You look upset."

Roxas looked away, "Yea…"

"You wanna talk about it?"

The blond mulled this over for a moment before nodding. "Yea… Yea I do…"

Silently, they both made their way over to the balcony. Riku opened the door and Roxas stepped outside. It was surprisingly chill for how hot September was turning out to be. He wrapped his arms around himself and he heard Riku mumble something about it being cold.

"Want to go up to the roof?"

It was a question that didn't need an answer. Riku knew Roxas liked heights.

They ambled their way over to the far side of the balcony and Riku gripped the metal ladder and began to climb up. Roxas followed behind him and once they were on the roof, they made their way to the very top and sat. The blond hadn't been up to the roof since Axel and Riku had moved in. He used to come up and watch the sunset with Sora. They used to share sea salt ice cream popsicles and they used to spend a lot of time together.

"What's wrong?" Riku looked out toward the sky. "Why are you up so early?"

"Could ask you the same thing…" Roxas looked at the ground below them and wondered how badly he'd get hurt if he slipped off the top. He reached into the pocket of his pajama pants and pulled out his cigarettes and lighter. His cigarettes were somewhat crushed because he had forgotten to remove them last night before he went to sleep.

"I have class at eight…" Riku shrugged, "thought I'd get up and relax for a while."

He pulled out a cigarette that didn't look too smashed up and he lit it. He inhaled the smoke and then blew it out through his nose.

"What did you do when your mom died?" Roxas sighed softly. He had an unreadable expression on his face. A look that would probably prompt Axel into calling him 'zombie.'

"I did a happy dance." Riku smiled in a sad kind of way.

"Wow… Harsh," the blond licked his lips and took another hit from his cigarette.

"I cried later…" he shrugged, "But… But it was different for me… I was happy when she died because my dad manipulated me into hating her."

Roxas glanced at Riku briefly, "Weren't you like… thirteen when she died?"

"Twelve," he corrected, "way too young to understand what was going on."

Roxas inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering closed for a brief moment.

Riku sighed. He didn't really want to talk about his parents. He had emancipated himself when he was fifteen after he discovered his mother was beaten to death by his father. His father barely laid a hand on Riku, but he had consistently used him and toyed with him. He was pretty sure his father could take home the Olympic gold if there was a tournament for emotional abuse.

"Why do you ask?" Riku questioned.

"I don't know… I had a dream about my mom…" He exhaled a little smoke and then squished the butt of his cigarette against the roof top. "I dreamt I was on the plane with her when it crashed…" He lit up another cigarette and inhaled. "And I dreamt she didn't try to protect herself when the plane was going down. I dreamt she put my oxygen mask on and then never bothered to put her own on…"

Riku watched Roxas curiously.

"I thought I was going to suffocate…" He looked at his cigarette. "Even though the stupid bag was inflating in my dream…"

Riku laughed. "I remember when your mom died. It was… what… Three years ago?"

"Yep…" Roxas tapped the end of his cigarette and watched the ashes fall. "Three years ago… It was only six months after you and Sora had that whole… fall out…"

"The fall out you had nothing to do with?" Riku asked somewhat accusingly.

The blond puffed his cigarette and shrugged.

They were silent for a while. Chirping birds could be heard in the distance.

"How come you never told anyone that I came onto you?" Roxas stared ahead with an impassive look, "You really let me slide… You took all the blame. Bet Sora and you would've stayed together if you told him the truth…"

Riku mulled this over. It was true… When he and Roxas were finally caught, he had told Sora it wasn't his brother's fault. Riku had purposefully shouldered all the blame to keep Sora and Roxas from hating each other.

"I guess… I guess because I really, really loved Sora…" he looked over at Roxas.

"Then why not tell him the truth?" The blond crushed out his second cigarette and flicked the butt onto the ground below.

"Because I know Sora. I know how devastated he'd be if he knew it was _you_ who fucked him over – not me." Riku sighed gently, "Besides, I liked you. I didn't want to see you get hurt…"

Roxas looked away and he didn't say anything. The sun was starting to rise. The chill of the morning was starting to lift slightly and it was beginning to look less and less like night.

"We never loved each other, huh?" He opened his packet of cigarettes and counted how many had been crushed.

"No," Riku smiled slightly, "I liked you better when you weren't so moody and cold though…"

"I was _always_ moody and cold," Roxas replied frostily.

"Really, really occasionally. But you used to be sweet and gentle… You and Sora had nearly the exact same personality. I think that's why I gave in when you pushed yourself on me. I already had Sora, so why not have his replica, too?"

"His _replica_?" Roxas questioned bitterly. "I'm my own person, asshole."

"Not to me," he looked at the blond and reached out to gently touch his arm. "You were Sora with blond hair… You were Sora without the big, goofy grin. The only thing better than having one Sora was having_ two _Soras."

"Thanks," Roxas swatted his hand away, "it's good know I was just a lesser version of my stupid fucking brother."

"Well, you're not anymore," Riku looked away from Roxas and out toward the rising sun. "You couldn't be any less like him now."

His cheeks burned from slight embarrassment and he couldn't argue. He wasn't anything like Sora anymore. He was so far from any of his siblings. He was moody and he was always brooding, he had forgotten how to be sweet, compassionate, gentle… He had forgotten how to be like his mother.

"You're kind of an asshole now." Riku had a slight smirk on his features and he laughed when Roxas playfully punched his arm.

"I can be sweet!" he glared.

"Hey – I already know that…" he smiled at Roxas. "It's just everyone who didn't know you before your mom died."

"Oh, like who?" His glare intensified, "You mean Axel?"

"You're the one throwing out names…" Riku teased.

Roxas looked away from Riku and down at the ground. The sun was peaking just over the horizon and the night was melting into day. Some birds chirped in the distance and from far away, they could hear the sound of the city rumbling to life.

"I don't get it," Roxas mumbled after a while. "All the shit life has thrown at you and you're not even miffed."

Riku laughed gently. "I guess… I guess I'm not just mad at the world, Roxas."

"But why?" he turned slightly toward the older boy. "The world fucked you! And not in the good 'legs-to-jelly' kind of way! Your mom died, your dad was a douche, and you and Sora are probably never getting back together and you're just okay with all of that?"

He stared at Roxas with a slightly amused look. "No. Not really. But would being angry change any of that? Life is a fifty-fifty, Roxas. Fifty percent is all the shit you can't control and the other fifty percent is how you react to all the shit you can't control."

He looked at Riku as if he was stupid, "That's stupid! That's like… letting life walk all over you!"

Riku looked away from Roxas. He stood up and stretched his torso, "But it's not. I lament about the past, but I'm not angry about it… Being angry is letting life walk all over you. Anger holds you back… You're so busy being angry, Roxas, that you won't give Axel, or anyone, a chance. You're so mad that your mom is gone that you've closed yourself off…"

Roxas was silent for a long time. He hated knowing Riku was right and he hated that Riku had him pegged. Roxas _was_ closed off. All of his anger had made him emotionally unavailable and it was greatly harming all of his relationships – with his siblings, his dad, Axel… Roxas could barely keep friends because he was convinced that if he opened up to people, he would just get hurt.

"Riku?" Roxas looked up at the older boy.

"Hm?"

"I'm really sorry I wrecked your relationship. I know Sora still loves you."

Riku looked away, "You sure about that?"

Roxas nodded, "He stole a shirt from your laundry basket a week ago and he wears it to bed every night."

A blush spread across his pale cheeks and he had to turn away from Roxas to hide the large smile that had spread across his features.

So _that_ was where his favorite shirt had gone off to.

••••••••••••••

**Summertime had lulled **Roxas into thinking he actually enjoyed school. He did, to some extent, but his first day back at classes reminded him how much he loathed school sometimes. He had packed his classes together so his schedule would be easier to handle, but after three hours of back-to-back classes, he was beginning to feel rather bored. First days were boring to begin with, especially when his teachers insisted on reading their syllabi aloud.

He made his way back to the duplex around two because he hoped to see Axel, but the redhead was absent again. His lack of presence in the duplex had definitely made the humble abode seem much quieter, but Roxas missed the noise. He missed Axel and he wanted to talk to him. The few times Roxas had seen Axel in passing, the redhead would wave and smile and his surliness about the pool incident seemed to have lifted considerably.

Roxas had slipped a written apology under the redhead's door a few nights after everything happened and because Axel seemed to be in good spirits Roxas figured the pool incident had little to do with the redhead's consistent nonappearance within the duplex.

A sigh parted his lips as he walked up the steps toward the upper portion of the duplex. He didn't knock before he entered and Riku didn't seem to mind when Roxas strolled in, walked into Axel's bedroom, and quietly closed the door. The redhead's room was strangely clean. He could actually see the floor and he felt somewhat bothered.

It didn't feel like Axel's space anymore. It felt like space that had been tampered with.

Tiredly, he walked over to Axel's bed and frowned when he saw it was made. When was the last time the redhead even slept here? When was the last time he ate dinner here or bathed here or did anything in the duplex at all? It didn't feel nice knowing that Axel wasn't around because of Demyx. He kept hearing they were dating, but he didn't want to believe it.

Roxas laid face down on Axel's bed and breathed deeply. He felt the cold air from the AC vent blowing on his legs and he quickly covered himself with his duplex-mate's red blanket. It didn't take him long to fall asleep. He didn't even remember trying to fall asleep, but he supposed that's what exhaustion did to a person.

When he awoke, hours later, there was someone lying next to him and the room was dark because the sun had gone down a long time ago. At first, Roxas assumed it was Axel, but when he rolled over and wrapped an arm around the figure the scent of someone else filled his nostrils. He recoiled, somewhat disgusted, and then he slipped over the figure and out of Axel's bed. A chill shot down his spine and he reached up and wiped at his nose.

Whoever was in Axel's bed smelled like women's perfume, liquor, and pot and Roxas decided to leave the room before the creeper in Axel's bed woke up. He felt his way around the dark room until he reached the handle of the door. He turned the knob and recoiled slightly when he saw the trashed living area and people who were crashing on the couch, the pool table, the floor… His tenants had taken it upon themselves to throw a party and Roxas felt agitation growing in his chest. He didn't mind parties, but he did mind passed-out, overly sexed young adults.

Skillfully, he waded through the people on the floor and made his way over to the balcony. The door was pushed open and he stepped out into the chill night air. Nobody seemed to be out on the balcony and Roxas couldn't blame them. The September heat had lifted and cold weather had begun to frost over the remnants of summer.

"Roxy…"

He was annoyed, but the nickname left him feeling warm. Only two people consistently called him Roxas and that had been his mother and now Axel. Occasionally his siblings would, but it was a rare occurrence.

"Hey, c'mere…" Axel slurred. He was lying sideways on the hammock on the farthest corner of the balcony. His feet touched the ground and he was swaying gently.

Hesitantly, Roxas made his way over. He didn't have to see Axel's glazed-over expression to know he was somewhat intoxicated.

"What?" he stood next to the hammock and crossed his arms. "There's some creep sleeping in your bed."

"What are you talking about?" Axel questioned. He was gazing upward at the stars and moon and he didn't look over at Roxas. "The creep in my bed is standing right next to me," he teased.

Blue eyes narrowed and he glared coldly at Axel, "So… who approved your request to have a party?"

The redhead ignored him, "Demyx was pretty pissed when he saw you in my bed. Think he would've given me the third degree if Zexion hadn't caused such a problem a few days ago…"

Roxas frowned, "What are you talking about?"

Axel stood, somewhat unsteadily, from the hammock. He slipped his hand into the blonde's own and stared at him intently. "Dance with me."

It wasn't a request. It was a command. And before Roxas could say no or pull away, Axel had wrapped an arm around his waist and was pulling him along the floor of the balcony. For someone who was somewhat intoxicated, Axel was surprisingly steady. He led their dance with ease and though Roxas struggled at first, he slowly melted into the redhead and just let it happen.

"Surprised you slept through it…" Axel mumbled after a few minutes. Their dance had died down into a slow sway that was really just a prolonged hug. Roxas gripped the older boy tightly and he found himself momentarily surprised when he realized Axel was gripping him just as tightly.

"The party?" Roxas mumbled against Axel's chest.

"It was loud as hell… Riku told me you were tired, though… Said you had gotten up early."

A frown creased his features and he wondered how much Riku had told Axel. Roxas had left out the part of his dream that involved Axel for that reason. They were best friends, weren't they? Surely Riku told Axel everything and vice versa.

"You can't throw parties here," Roxas looked up at Axel with slight dismay. "At least not during the week, Firecrotch."

"Yea, yea…" he said dismissively. "I got it. Zombies don't party. They're such buzz kills."

"I'm _not_ a buzz kill."

"You're more of a buzz kill than cancer."

Roxas blushed and looked away from Axel, "Aren't you drunk? Aren't drunks supposed to be tired?" He didn't want to argue over whether or not he was a buzz kill. He knew the argument would not turn out in his favor and he hated that smug look Axel got when he knew he was right.

"I'm not drunk," the redhead yawned, "I'm tired, though. Let's go kick the creeper out of my bed and sleep…" He slipped from their embrace and, instead, grasped the younger boy's hand and led him inside. Axel didn't bother to wade through people; he plundered right through them and ignored the swearing or grumbles of pain when he kicked or stepped on someone.

He opened his bedroom door and yanked Roxas inside. Light was flicked on and the boy in Axel's bed stirred slightly.

"Out," the redhead walked over to his bed and grabbed the boy's arm. "Go find a comfy spot on the floor in the living room. Or go home. The latter, preferably…" He gave a yank and sent the young adult tumbling to the floor in a heap.

"Ungh…" the boy reached up and rubbed at his head. He got up, slowly, and mumbled 'dick' under his breath before skulking out of the redhead's room. The door was shut somewhat forcefully, but Axel ignored it. He knew the kid. Not well, but well enough to know that he wasn't ever getting any from anyone. Well enough to know that his bed wasn't infected with some kind of disease.

"You're… surprisingly together for someone who's drunk…" Roxas inspected Axel's bed.

"I'm not drunk," the redhead repeated. "I already said that. Maybe you're drunk…" He watched Roxas with some interest. "You don't need to play Scooby-Doo… No mystery, Zombie. The bed is fine."

"He smelled weird…" he frowned, "and what if he… I don't know… pissed himself or something on your bed? Do you wanna sleep in some weird guy's pee?" He finished his inspection of the bed and turned to look at Axel, "I promise I'm not drunk. I'm not the one throwing a party. Or drinking in the middle of the week. Or –"

"Yea, yea, Zombie…" Axel wrapped his arms around Roxas's waist, "Blah, blah, blah…Lecture me later…" He yanked the blonde down onto the bed with him and after some repositioning, Roxas found himself under the tall redhead. Axel was on all fours above him and he had swooped down to press soft, hot kisses to the pale skin of Roxas's neck.

"Hey, come on…" Roxas felt the hair on his arms rise, "A-Axel… stop…" He reached up and placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders. He wanted to feel like he had some control over the situation.

"Buzz kill," Axel's lips ghosted over his ear. "You sure I should stop?" He traced the shell of the younger boy's ear with his tongue. Roxas shuddered beneath him. His body was betraying him. Roxas was betraying himself. He liked Axel, but his resolve to despise the redhead was crumbling around him quickly. Axel's lips were soft, his tongue was warm, and he was on top of Roxas. Axel wanted Roxas and knowing this made Roxas feel thirty times less lonely and less sad and less hurt.

"A-aren't you dating someone?" He hated how weak his voice sounded. Part of it was Axel's skillful tongue tracing little patterns on his neck and the other part was that Roxas didn't really want an answer. He really didn't want to hear that Axel and Demyx were dating even though he knew they probably were. Denial was something Roxas could easily sink himself in.

"Maaaaybe," the redhead nipped the blonde's collar bone. "Wish I was dating you, though."

If he was teasing or not, Roxas couldn't tell. His cheeks had already heated to a considerable red color. He could feel the heat in his face and he was glad Axel wasn't lining his face with kisses. He was embarrassed and he didn't want the redhead to know.

"No, really…" Roxas put a little weight against Axel's shoulders. "Aren't you dating Demyx?" His throat betrayed him as the smallest of moans passed his moist lips. Axel was nipping the junction of flesh where his neck and shoulder met. It was a sensation that Roxas hadn't felt in a long time. It was the kind of pleasurable sensation that would make Roxas go against his better judgment. It was his weak spot and Axel had found it so easily.

"Mm…" his teeth grazed the area, "Your choice… I can answer your question or I can continue to tease you. Pick one."

Blue eyes narrowed and he gave Axel a cold look, "Don't play with me. I'm not a toy."

"I'm not playing," the redhead's lips ghosted his neck and shoulder, "I just want to know which is more important to you… Maybe I want to hear you say you want me…"

Cheeks flooded with color all over again and Roxas felt stupid. This was a somewhat difficult decision because he wanted both. He wanted Axel to say he and Demyx were dating. He wanted Axel to continue kissing him and nipping his flesh. But Roxas didn't want to admit that he wanted either because he didn't want to give Axel any kind of satisfaction. He didn't want the redhead to know how badly he wanted him and how jealous he was of Demyx.

"Tick-tock, Zombie…" Axel teased, "Want me to hum the _Jeopardy_ theme?"

"You're drunk…" Roxas mumbled in a bad attempt at changing the subject.

"For the last time," Axel sat up on his knees and his green eyes met with blue ones. "I'm _not_ drunk, Roxy. I don't get smashed at my own parties…"

"But your eyes are –"

"Rimmed red. Yea. I know. Maybe I don't sleep well. Maybe I haven't been sleeping well the past week. Maybe something in the air is bothering my eyes. Maybe I was lighting up earlier. Maybe my eyes get like that when I make eyes with my cute tenant from downstairs." Axel shrugged.

"… You're such a liar," Roxas tried to look away to hide his smile. "You're not making eyes with me."

"I'm trying to make babies with you, but you just won't have it," he teased, happy to finally bring the conversation back around.

"Whoa, whoa…" he looked up at Axel with some amusement, "You must have failed biology in high school, Firecrotch."

"No," Axel leaned down and kissed his lips briefly, "I just know my seed is so potent, it can impregnate anything."

"Sure, why not?" Roxas smiled, "Batman has money, Superman has super strength and flight, and you have the ability to be the father of baby giraffes."

"I like giraffes." Axel smiled and kissed him again, "I'd rather father a baby Akuroku though."

Roxas grimaced slightly, "That's a terrible name…" Fingers tangled in Axel's red hair, "Is that our kid? Akuroku? We're going to have a _serious_ discussion about that later …" Roxas brought the older boy down and their lips met in a brief kiss.

Eyes locked, red-rimmed jade into vibrant blue, and then they were kissing. But these kisses weren't brief and polite. They were the kind of kisses where Roxas opened his mouth to let Axel's tongue explore. They were kisses that left Roxas feeling delirious and stupid and very, very hot. When he met the redhead's tongue, he felt a spark jolt through his entire being and it caused the hair on his neck to stand on end. When he felt Axel's hand slide under his shirt and explore his skin, Roxas wondered if the redhead's fingers were always so warm. His touch was like fire and in his wake he seemed to leave little embers that melted all of Roxas's feelings of loneliness and sorrow.

Their kisses became a little clumsy as Roxas worked Axel's shirt off. Every time they broke contact they immediately attempted to reconnect. They were desperate for each other. They were desperate for the other's contact. Roxas took in a sharp breath when he felt the redhead's lips on his neck again and Axel hissed softly when the blonde raked his fingernails roughly down his naked back. They were all heat, all passion, complete carnage.

"Are you going to have sex with me?" Roxas blurted stupidly. He was pulling at Axel's red locks nervously. His cheeks were flushed. He was hot. He wanted Axel. He knew it was against his better judgment but, _God_, he wanted Axel.

The redhead lifted his head from the blonde's neck, "No…" His voice was quiet. "I only conquer boys I don't wanna keep around…"

Roxas wasn't sure how to feel about that. Axel pressed a warm kiss to his cheek and Roxas melted against the redhead's every touch. He was reminded so deeply of his mother when he was around Axel. He had a soft, gentle touch like her. He had the same kind of disarming charm that his mother had once had.

"I care about you too much to just do it with you…" Axel nipped his exposed earlobe. "Don't get me wrong… I'd really like to, but some boys are worth waiting for…"

"W-what about Demyx?" Roxas asked quietly.

The redhead buried his face against the blonde's neck and mumbled "what about him?" Guilt seemed to lace his words, but Roxas figured maybe he was just imagining it.

"I… I don't know… Haven't you guys…" he paused and ran his fingers through Axel's hair, "uh… consummated your relationship?"

The older boy lifted his head and gave Roxas a look, "Have we _fucked_?" He raised a brow, "No. We haven't fucked. He's not a slut, you know…"

The blond rolled his eyes, "Then why is he with you?"

Axel looked amused, "Why are you?"

Cheeks heated and he looked away from the redhead.

"You just inadvertently called yourself a slut…" Roxas could _hear_ the grin on his tenant's features and his cheeks took on an even darker shade of red when Axel added, "If you're going to be a slut, I strongly suggest you be _my_ slut."

"I thought Demyx already held that position?" He raised a brow and ignored the heat in his face. There was no use hiding it. Axel knew he was making Roxas blush and his attempts to hide it only seemed to be encouraging Axel to make him blush more.

"You can be his replacement."

"That's nice, Axel. You're such a good boyfriend."

"Ugh… Boyfriend…" the redhead shivered, "There's that word again. Wish everyone would stop saying it."

"Yea," Roxas gave Axel's shoulders a push and sat up, "how dare Demyx think you're his boyfriend. Have you informed him that he's mistaken or are you just going to sleep with him and _then_ tell him?"

"Buzz kill…" The redhead rolled off Roxas and lay motionless next to him. The blond brought his knees up and placed his arms on top, eyes roving over Axel's body.

"If you don't like him, why are you with him?" A frown creased his features and his eyes went from Axel's body to Axel's room. He noted the easel in the corner, the tattered notebook on his desk, his mother's anthology of Aesop's fables…

"I like him." The redhead rolled on his side and watched Roxas curiously. "I don't mind being his boyfriend. It's just… Relationships are like fire. Sometimes they're spontaneous, sometimes they're planned. Sometimes you get burned, sometimes you do the burning. Sometimes you light a fire and you think it'll burn out quickly, like a match, but then it gets bigger and bigger and bigger until the flames trap you. Then you realize the only way to escape is to go _through_ the flames themselves and you pray to _God_ that you come out on the other end unscathed."

Roxas held an impassive look and they were silent for a long time. A gentle sigh passed his lips and then he smiled, just the slightest bit, because Axel sounded somewhat jaded. For all the shit he gave Roxas, he was just a little bit jaded too.

"Why are you so interested in me?" he after a few moments.

Axel sat up and looked at Roxas. He sighed and then placed a warm, soft kiss to the blonde's lips. Their foreheads were pressed together, their noses touching, and Roxas breathed deep the scent of fire… Something like a candle recently blown out or a match with no flame.

"I'm a relationship arsonist, Roxy. I light the match, I feed the flames, and then I burn the people involved." Their lips met briefly, "I've never been burned by my own fire. I've controlled every single relationship. But you?" Axel pulled away and lay down on his bed. His arms went behind his head and he sighed gently, "You're your own fire… You're unpredictable and dangerous and you're something I can't control. You'll probably burn me, Roxy, but I really wouldn't have it any other way…"

A sigh parted the blonde's lips and he lay down next to Axel. He mumbled 'masochist' under his breath before turning on his side and allowing the redhead to spoon with him.

Axel was right. Roxas was his own fire.

••••••••••••••

_**The Lion and**__ his Lionesses_

_There once was a lion that had to make a very difficult decision regarding two very beautiful lionesses. One lioness wallowed and brooded frequently, but she could be very sweet and gentle. The other lioness was spontaneous and fun, but she was the kind of lioness that fell in love frequently and fell out of love often. So the lion chose the brooding lioness for he knew she would love him all his days. But she would not accept his love despite it being plainly obvious that she loved the lion just as much as the lion loved her. So the lion, tired of her games, chose the other lioness with a heavy heart. And the fun, spontaneous lioness was greatly enthralled with the lion, but eventually they grew apart and went their separate ways. The lion ended up alone without either lioness and he knew his misfortune was brought on by his impatience with the brooding lioness._

Moral: Love that requires waiting is a love worth waiting for.

"Sap."

"At least I can keep a boyfriend, Cheeseburger…"

"Hey, I could find some arm candy to hang off me. I just like my relationships to mean something…" Riku flipped through his roommate's tattered notebook and eyed the fables. "Does Roxas know about these yet?"

"No," Axel sat at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and watched as Riku's pretty eyes scanned a page in the notebook.

_The Cat and the Mouse_

_A cat came upon a mouse and before it had a chance to attack, the mouse begged the cat to spare his life. Feeling lazy, the cat let the mouse go. The next day, the cat came upon the mouse again and, again, the mouse pleaded and begged the cat to spare his life. The cat, again feeling lazy, let the mouse go. The next four days, the cat came upon the mouse and the mouse continued to beg and plead and the cat continued to let the mouse go out of pure laziness. On the fifth day, the cat came upon the mouse and he told the mouse, "If I come upon you one more time, I'll disembowel you." And the mouse replied, "Because you have been lazy and let me live, I was able to direct all the mice I know into your home. It is not you who will disembowel me; it is us who will disembowel you."_

Moral: Get your shit done in a timely manner or you'll get consumed by all the shit that builds up.

"You're not hoping to become the next Richard Scarry, are you?" Riku asked with a smile. "I don't remember the animals in the_ Best Storybook Ever _swearing…"

"Think I'm gonna write a fable about circumcision…" Axel joked.

"Or how to give blow jobs," Riku offered helpfully.

The redhead opened his mouth to offer another idea, but the sound of Riku's phone ringing cut through their conversation. This was the fifth or sixth time his phone had gone off and each time Riku would check his phone, hit 'ignore,' and then pretend it hadn't even rang at all. This time proved no different.

"You never tell me anything, Cheeseburger…" Axel leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. It was around four in the afternoon. Both boys had finished their classes earlier in the day and they had already cleaned up from their party last night. Roxas had slipped from Axel's bed sometime before nine and the blonde's absence bothered him.

He remembered what Roxas had said… _"I'm not going to be your fire within a fire, Axel. I don't even know if I'm going to be _your _fire at all…"_

It wasn't like Axel had asked Roxas to be his other boyfriend. He hinted and insinuated but, then again, he was always hinting and insinuating; usually about sex.

"Axel."

"Huh?" The redhead looked over at Riku. "What?"

"I said, what do you mean?" He flipped to a new page in the tattered notebook, but his eyes did not scan the slanted writing.

"You never told me you dated Sora…" Axel shrugged, "And I don't know anything about your parents or… or your home life or anything. This might sound a little gay," both boys smirked, "but I thought I knew you before we moved in here… Now I feel like the only thing we have in common is each other."

"Sorry, Ashley. Maybe we can talk next time we paint each other's nails," Riku rolled his eyes and went back to scanning Axel's fables.

"I'm serious…" He reached out and placed his hand over the page his roommate was reading. "I tell you everything… Aren't we best friends?"

"Being best friends doesn't mean I have to delve all my secrets to you." Riku's eyes narrowed somewhat, "It just means when shit goes down I'm there for you."

"That's parents, Cheeseburger. Not best friends."

"I can have secrets," He sat up from his position on Axel's bed. "I'm entitled to have them…"

"But I don't keep secrets from you," the redhead frowned.

"That's your choice," Riku shook his head, "I never asked you to tell me everything. You just do."

"What if I had secrets?" Axel leaned forward in his chair and eyed Riku. "Wouldn't you want to know what they are?"

Riku shrugged. This infuriated Axel.

"Don't shrug at me! You would want to know!" the redhead shouted.

"I don't care," he slipped from his best friend's bed, "we have different definitions of what makes a friend a 'best friend.' I don't have to tell you anything."

"Is that what you said to Sora? You said 'you're my boyfriend. I can hide stuff from you if I want'?" Axel's brow furrowed and he knew he was stepping into a territory that didn't need to be stepped in. He knew this was a dangerous topic to approach with Riku, but he wanted to know.

Riku shifted uncomfortably and hesitated before answering, "Yea…" he sighed, "it's… it's not wrong to say it like that…"

Axel frowned and watched Riku slip from his bedroom silently.

••••••••••••••

"**Kairi told me**about your fables…" Naminé sat back-to-back with Axel in the drawing room of the Music and Arts building. She was sitting upon a stool, leaning against the redhead, and drawing something in the sketchbook she always carried around. She sat somewhat slumped, like a small child, and her lips were slightly parted in concentration.

Axel, on the other hand, sat up straight and tall on his stool and he worked on his piece of canvas that sat against the wooden easel. He was using charcoal today. He had grown tired of paint because he found it to be somewhat unmanageable. He had also managed to misplace a package of unopened and expensive brushes.

"Did you read them?" He looked at his work on the canvas.

"Some…" Naminé leaned her head against Axel's back and tried to peek at his work, but he was too tall and she was too short. "Why did you pick a lion?" She spoke quietly despite the art room being empty. She seldom spoke when placed with any of her siblings, but by herself she could talk up a storm and Axel loved it.

"He's the king of the jungle…" he found himself smiling somewhat. "What's more majestic than a lion?"

"A dolphin," Naminé answered simply. "Or horses or doves…"

Axel laughed, "Dolphins aren't majestic… They commit suicide, you know…"

She sat up and turned to him, "No they don't!"

He looked at her over his shoulder, "Yes they do. They're also the only other animals to have sex for pleasure, like humans…" He smiled at her as she tried to decided whether or not he was lying. Slowly she turned back around and slumped against Axel. A sigh was breathed through her lips and he heard her pencil scratch against the paper.

"Are you really going to marry Roxas if your book gets published?" Naminé asked.

Axel paused. The charcoal he held in his hand was suspended, briefly, and then he let his arm drop. Jade eyes scanned his work on the canvas and then he peered at Naminé over his shoulder. She held her sketchbook close so he couldn't see what she was drawing. But this was how it always was. They got together once a week to draw and then before they left they showed each other what they had created.

This was only the third week they had done it. It was nearing the first of October and Axel was surprised at how fast September had flown by. He had been busy though, with school and Demyx and work… His relationship with Riku had become strained (whether or not this was his fault he wasn't sure. Riku had seemed very bad-tempered lately and he had been keeping very much to himself). His relationship with Roxas had also become strained.

Maybe not strained, but…

"I don't think he likes me…" Axel paused for a moment, "Well, no… I think he likes me. But I don't think he knows what to make of me, Nami…" Stupidly, he put his hand to his chin and smeared charcoal on his face. A sigh left his lips and he used his apron in an attempt to smear some of the blackness away.

"He's weary of you…" she mumbled, "I'd just see how it goes." Naminé sat up in her stool and placed her sketchbook on her lap. She leaned down and grabbed a jade colored pencil from the floor next to her seat. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Axel thought about this for a moment, "Aesop?" he asked.

She nodded and added, "You can lead a fool to wisdom, but you can't make him think. That's Aesop too…"

The redhead laughed, "You can lead a boy to your bedroom, but his consent might be dubious…" he teased.

Naminé smiled, "Axel?"

"Hm?"

"Roxas…" she paused and thought for a moment, "Leave him alone."

"Huh?" he turned and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean leave him alone…" she said not unkindly. "Because… Because he's weary of you and I don't think trying to be his boyfriend is the right thing to do…" Naminé looked up from her drawing and she blushed lightly when she saw the look Axel was giving her. "Sorry, I… I…" she stammered, "I just want to help you. And I know Roxas. I think if you're his friend, just his friend, then your relationship won't be so push-and-pull. It won't be so… You're hugging one second and then ignoring each other the next. That's all…"

He sighed softly, "Yea…" His eyes glanced at his work on the canvas and then he stood. "I suppose it's not fair to Demyx either."

"No," Naminé frowned and watched as the redhead removed his apron. "It's not. You can't string them along."

Axel crossed the drawing room and placed his apron on an empty hook that jutted from the wall. He walked over to the sink and began washing the charcoal off his hands. The drawing room always seemed to humble him somewhat. He became much more serious and less playful when he entered and when he began to paint or draw or color he would become engrossed and very unlike himself. Not in a bad way, but in a way that was completely different from his flirtatious and charming nature.

"It's really pretty…"

The redhead looked over his shoulder and watched as Naminé's blue eyes scanned his piece of canvas. He dried his hands and walked over to her. Both of them looked at his work and Axel found himself feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

"It's not finished," Naminé looked up at him. "A phantom can't be cupping Roxas's cheek… A phantom can't put his hand on the small of my brother's back… Your anonymous man needs a head…"

The unsatisfied feeling in his chest lingered, but he smiled nonetheless. "The anonymous man will get a head when the time is right…"

"And then Roxas won't have his hands pressed against a naked torso? He'll have the same sultry look? The smallest hint of fear?" Her eyes were bright with delight and she laughed when Axel merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Show me what you drew…" He put his hand out and she hand him the sketchbook. "Page?"

"The last page. I drew it for you," she put her hands behind her back and watched Axel flip to the last page of her sketchbook. A smile cracked his hardened features and he found himself wholly taken with Naminé. "I wanted to make a cover for your book." She stood on her tip toes to eye the drawing with the redhead. "Because I know you'll get it published."

He laughed and touched the drawing with his fingers. Across the top she had written out _Axel's Fables_ in very pretty, neat cursive and then along the middle and bottom she had sketched out everyone as an animal. Axel, in his lion form, adorned the middle of the page, his jade eyes and facial tattoos giving the lion a much fiercer look. Roxas, the lioness, perched upon a lonely rock in the distance behind Axel. Demyx, the second lioness, lay lazily on the jungle floor next to Roxas… Riku, in the form of a wolf, sat at Axel's right side, and Sora, drawn as a sheep, eyed the wolf tentatively. Kairi was placed on the left side of the drawing, depicted as a sly-eyed deer that seemed to see and know everything.

And then, the last of their group, Naminé, had drawn herself as the most tentative butterfly he had ever seen. She sat on Axel's tail, her wings wide and beautiful and it gave the picture a feeling of content. He had to look closely to see the design in the wings were actually letters. He had to look even closer to see that the letters spelled out a name.

"Badcock?" He raised a brow.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Why Badcock?" Axel's eyes didn't leave the drawing.

"Because soon you'll be a Badcock," Naminé stated.

He laughed, "This is great, Nami. I… I really like this."

"Keep it," she began to clean up her colored pencils from the floor. "Keep the whole book, Axel. I've drawn pictures for almost all the fables you've written."

He was touched by her actions and he found himself wondering if, at some point, Roxas used to be this sweet and kind.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Is that a weird place to end things? The last scene wasn't included originally but I added it in to help develop a different side to Axel as well as include Naminé (and her association with the fables). I figure it'd get pretty depressing writing a book for someone who's hot one second and cold the next, so I think Naminé's added interest helps push the idea forward. And it's kind of cute.

_**Thank you, thank you, thank you to Loves Ironic Tragedy and Aindel S. Druida for beta-editing this story. I really super-duper appreciate it. You guys are great!**_

So… Yea. Time is trucking along, both in real life and this story. Next chapter will probably be somewhat Riku x Sora-centric. Zexion is bound to show up in the next chapter with Demyx and we'll take a spin around the block to see what Officer Leonhart is up to and what kind of mischief he's ticketing people for.

Look for another chapter before mid-August.

In the meantime you should also look for a (possible) new chapter story. I think it's going to be a very loose telling of _My Fair Lady_. It's a work in progress.  
Thanks for reading and thanks for all the support.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Daydreamishly: **You're always the first to review. Every time I see that I yell "FIRST" in my mind (because that seems to be an American thing to do… Scream "FIRST" when one is the first to post something on an open forum). Anyway – I appreciate your compliments. I'm trying to chop down my review responses because some of the lengths are getting ridiculous. I'm glad you liked Kairi and Nami's characterization. I always seem to make my female characters really bitchy without meaning to.

**Khuronji:** I can see him as bisexual. I do like him paired with Nami, but I really prefer him with Roxas. Maybe that's biased. Maybe not. I don't know many guys who say things like "he made me feel like I had a heart" when speaking of their male friends. Sometimes I see Roxas as Axel's _one_ exception. That can happen, right?

**Natcat5**: I'm definitely trying to incorporate the past more. It gives Roxas some depth. I'm also using the fables as a way to push Axel's artistic, deeper side (because he needs depth too). I really don't see Axel getting too wound up in emotions when it comes to relationships. Like… He'd be never say, "let's have an intimate talk about how we feel." It'd be more like "uh… sorry I'm a douche. I bought you candy so… shut up and smile." That's cool with me.

**Sana-chan9: **I laughed at that too (which sounds lame because I wrote it in there). It's one of my favorite lines from _The Wizard of Oz_. My next favorite part is probably the "If I Only Had a Brain" song. Yea… Riku is kind of a douche. But I just see him as an arrogant smartass. Axel is less arrogant when it's not about guys, but Riku's just so… smug. About everything. Even when he's wrong, he's still kind of smug.  
Noooo. His hand won't fall off. I just figure if Axel shoved him in the pool that close to the edge, he was bound to get hurt.

**Keuraki-SoraXRiku: **Hahaha. When I first read your review, I thought you said "you need ASS, and AWESOMENESS" and I was really confused (delighted, but confused). You're in luck for the next chapter. It's going to be somewhat RikuxSora-centric. I need to move them along (slow and steady wins the race, though, right? Thanks Aesop).  
Hahaha. I've learned to NEVER google things that I suspect might be uhh… less than pleasant. I googled docking. That was disturbing. I googled English phrases I've seen in books and that can be somewhat shocking. I like how you say 'maths' because I haven't heard anyone say that in a long time. I don't know why they don't call it 'maths' in America. They say 'mathematics,' but then it's just 'math' in the shortened version. And a LOT of Americans think 'maths' is a spelling error (which is funny to me).  
I'm glad you liked the story so much. The pool scene was hard to write. A lot of this chapter was hard to write. The fables actually came first in everything I had written (they're so easy to write. I originally thought it'd be tough thinking them out, but it's really not).

**Kyrian: **Oh… Wow… At the bottom of a pool? Were they… forcibly removed or were they just wiggly? Wiggly teeth aren't good. Unless you're under fourteen… Then that's probably all right (right? I don't know shit about kids these days…). Yea, I'm glad I took it out too. Now I can develop a relationship between Nami and Axel that isn't slathered in resentment and dislike.

**TopHatGlow: **Wait… Is shanking… Is that pulling someone's trousers down? I thought shanking was when you fashioned a knife out of soap (or other non-harmful object) and then stabbed someone with it, usually in a prison setting. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're British and shanking means something totally different. I have no idea. But yea, either way, getting shanked sucks.  
Yea… Axel is indirectly emotional. Cool with me. Direct lovey-dovey emotion annoys me (also called 'clinginess'). My writing and you may have this direct lovey-dovey emotion. That's cool with me (because I'm indirectly involved :D).

**RennyWasHere:** All my dreams involve me being somehow attacked by bugs. Or me trying to hide from bugs… or me killing bugs. I hate bugs. Hah… Soap opera music… I think Roxas has enough sense to knock on Axel's door when he knows Demyx is around. Though if he did catch them, I think he'd take that cake and shove it up someone's rear end (that… seems unpleasant, but not painful). Yay for obsessive-compulsive disorder! Just kidding. I obsessively check my e-mail for reviews.

**Aindel S. Druida**: I messaged you. Finally. I'm such a tool. I can't hold a thought longer than seven seconds. Good. I need two betas. I hate having to reread my work thousands of times and then realize I STILL missed things. Glaringly obvious, shameful things. Things a second-grader could pick up on. Can't wait for you to start beta-editing.

**Sensory Overload:** You're sweet. You know… Not everyone who reads this reviews it. I get e-mails everyday for 'Story Alerts' and 'Favorite Story' for _Axel's Fables_, but reviews not so much. Ah well. I appreciate the kids (adults?) that do review. A lot.  
Wow. That's a lot of words. I'm glad I could captivate you (or help you waste a few hours of time. I'm pleased either way). I like bet-type stories too. I think they spice things up and make things interesting. Makes for an easy plotline too.  
I chose "Badcock" because when I first came to America (one of the very first years I was here), I lived in North Carolina. I didn't know a ton of English. I knew enough to form the shittiest sentence you've ever heard. But I knew the word 'bad' and the word 'cock' (I knew all the dirty English words) and when my mom drove by 'Badcock Fabrics' I nearly wet myself. Because that was the funniest shit in the world to me. So now it's just stuck with me.  
Riku's last name was taken from this girl who swam on my swim team. God, she was awful… But we all called her 'Cheeseburger,' which is probably why she was so awful. She absolutely hated it (but we all got a laugh out of it).

**MoonLLotus:** Yea… Drama makes for a good story. Everyone loves angst, smut, drama, and comedy. But you have to put it all together in a way where one doesn't overload the other. People will read straight angst, but they're more likely to read a compilation of all four things.

**TonberryBlue: **Tonberry… Like from Final Fantasy? I like Tonberries. Roxas is a bit of a mean kid. He doesn't try to be though. It's circumstance… Well, okay, it's SOMEWHAT circumstance. The rest is on him. He chooses to be a pooper sometimes. Yes! I wanted to show a sensitive part to Axel. I also wanted to add in there that he _does_ truly like Roxas, he just… can't really express it openly (partly because of how Roxas acts). I really do see Axel as someone who floats about, hopping from relationship to relationship, and finding that things often just don't feel right. I don't see him so much as a man-whore (well, sometimes I do), but more like someone who gets _labeled_ a man-whore because he's unable to settle because he can't find the right person. But, you know… I also figure Axel's philosophy is probably "when in Rome." So if he's dating someone, why not get a piece of their behind?  
Yea, that's pretty much it. See? Already on your way to a new language (;D). Having no 'to be' verb is so awesome… I think most languages have a 'to be' though.  
You know… It is kind of sexy. As sexy as a piece of writing can get. Harry Potter is kind of sexy. Potter himself. Not the book. :D


	5. He Claims No Take Backsies

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Woohoo! This story is moving on up in the world. Thank you PandaGaaraInsomniac9 for adding this story in your C2 (The Best of AxelRoxas). I greatly appreciate it!

I know what all of you are thinking and **I'm really sorry about the delay.** I got back from Texas and I had less than five days to pack and move into my dorm, do an interview for the school magazine, see my sister off to Japan for her study abroad program, and attempt to get a handle on my schoolwork.

**Let me say this**:  
Updates are going to be slower (hopefully not that much slower). I've got a full schedule for school (17 hours) and I just got a job doing lab prep for the microbiology / genetics labs at my school. I'm going to try and stay on top of this story, but it may have to take the backseat at times.

**Anyway**, thank you for being patient and I hope the wait was worth it.  
_The italics in this chapter denote the past._

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

V – He Claims "No Take-Backsies"

**There was a **sudden distance between them and Riku knew it was his fault. Axel had become exceptionally cool toward him ever since there small argument in the redhead's bedroom and Riku had done nothing to make things better between them. Part of him felt very entitled to keeping some things secret, but the other part of Riku knew how betrayed he would feel if Axel felt the need to hide things from him.

"Did you ever think that maybe Axel is annoyed because you _flaunt_ the fact that you have secrets?" Roxas suggested, "I don't think he cares if you have secrets. I think he cares that everyone around him knows your secrets. Think about it. He's supposed to be your best friend, but people like Kairi and Naminé know more about you than he does."

Riku rolled his eyes, "I dated their brother. Whatever they know about me they probably know because of Sora."

Roxas shrugged his shoulders and sipped from his mug of coffee. Ever since their talk on the rooftop, he and Riku had begun spending more time together. They considered one another excellent resources for getting advice on their problems and they both had begun to realize just how similar in thought they were. They both failed to see why so many people adored Axel and they both agreed that Sora really should just admit he liked Riku or just move on.

"What are you trying to hide from him anyway?" Roxas frowned and set his coffee back down on the table. They were sitting at the bakeshop where Riku worked and the dreary Saturday morning had turned into a stormy afternoon. It was a slow day at the shop and Riku had requested Roxas drop by. They were attempting to hide their friendship for fear of what Sora might say. Both boys had convinced themselves that hiding their friendship was the safest, and smartest, thing to do.

"Nothing, I…" Riku leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, "I don't want him to know I slept with you."

Roxas fiddled with the handle of his cup and gave the other a scathing look. "Great. So I'm inevitably involved in this. Thanks." An eye roll accompanied his sarcasm, "What's the problem with him knowing exactly?"

"He's under the impression you're a virgin."

His dirty look increased.

Riku looked away, "I didn't say anything. He came up with that all by himself. He said it to me after you guys talked in the car."

Roxas breathed an irritable sigh through his mouth, "it's probably because I told him I didn't date. What a tool."

Riku shrugged, "He'd feel betrayed if he knew about us. You've never seen Axel upset, Rox—"

"What?" he passed the older boy the most indignant look he could muster, "Never seen him upset? Where have you been the last few months? Remember when I yanked his pants down? Remember when I told him I didn't like him? Remember when –"

"No," Riku sat up in his chair and leaned across the table, "really, really, seriously upset, Rox. I don't mean mad, I mean upset. He'll just disappear for days without a word and he'll ignore everyone he's pissed at. But then he'll do things like… like…" he paused briefly, "he'll be gone for days, but then you'll find your bathtub filled with gasoline and empty matchbooks."

Roxas stared at Riku with his mouth slightly open and his brows furrowed. "What?"

"Or you'll walk down the street and a car will drive by and you'll be shot at with a paintball or pellet gun four hundred times. He just… He can't know. Trust me… I know Axel well enough to know that he can't know about us." Aqua eyes stared at Roxas almost pleadingly and the blond looked away because he found his friend's look to be somewhat invasive.

"Fine," Roxas sipped from his mug, "it's not like I was going to tell him anyway. It's not really his business to begin with."

"Right." Riku relaxed and stood from his chair. "But what should I do about Axel? I want to tell him _something_ so he knows he's my best friend."

"Tell him you're gay." The blond stood and stretched and then smiled when Riku playfully hit him. "Tell him anything. Just edit out what you don't want him to know."

"Yea…" he sighed softly and placed his hands in the pockets of his flour-covered apron. "And what about you? What are you going to do about him?"

Roxas shrugged and bent down to pick up his umbrella. "Be his roommate? He's with Demyx and… and he's not my type. Besides," he sighed, "he was willing to cheat on his boyfriend with me. Who's to say he won't cheat on me too?"

Riku wished he could defend Axel, but he knew better than to try. Maybe once the redhead had been a loyal lover, but he seemed pretty content hopping from person to person and ignoring the consequences of each and every flame he started. Axel had to be careful; things could spiral out of control and he could end up alone.

"I'll see you at home." Roxas buttoned his jacket and clutched his umbrella. "Bring home chocolate cake."

Riku offered a small smile as he watched the petite blond walk away. He had forgotten how much he liked Roxas. He had forgotten how much he and Sora looked alike. At one point Roxas and Sora had also been very similar in attitude and personality, but there was an obvious difference between them now. The vibrant, naïve personality Roxas had once possessed was trumped by the overwhelming and incorrect notion that everything he loved or cared about would be viciously taken from him.

Roxas had a wall up, but Riku was managing to worm his way in.

"Do you know Axel?"

The redhead's name snapped Riku from his thoughts and he turned his attention to a younger looking boy who had a large curtain of hair covering half his face. He had a booked tucked under his arm and a closed umbrella clutched in his hand and the way his lips curved into a smirk made Riku feel suddenly uneasy.

"Uh… Yea. Why?" He eyed the bookish-looking boy suspiciously.

"Oh. I just heard the name and it sounded familiar. I'm Demyx's roommate."

"_You're_ Zexion?" Riku's lips curved into a handsome smile and he ignored the cold, contemptuous look the other boy gave him. "Sorry, it's just… Axel made you seem so much more… frightening."

"Seems he's not as stupid as he looks."

The smile dropped from Riku's features and he mirrored Zexion's cold look. "What do you want?"

"Nothing from you," a smirk crossed his features once more. "But perhaps your little blond friend should watch what he says. God forbid Demyx had been sitting here."

Riku looked at Zexion with confusion and before he could ask, the boy was already supplying an answer.

"Cheating. Axel cheated on Demyx. I heard what your friend said and it's going to cost Axel _quite_ a pretty penny to keep me from telling. Would you pass the message along? I bet he'd love to hear how his two friends ruined his rela—"

Despite his calm demeanor, Riku felt extremely panicked when he reeled back and punched Zexion in the face.

••••••••••••••

"**His phone has** been ringing nonstop for nearly a month." Axel leaned against the doorframe to Riku's room and watched as his roommate's phone lit up and began to vibrate again for the tenth or eleventh time in a row. "I wonder…" a devious, catlike expression crossed his features, "who Cheeseburger is trying so hard to avoid."

Demyx watched his boyfriend walk into Riku's bedroom and he stood frozen at the doorway, a frown creasing his features. "Does it matter? Should you be snooping like that?"

"It's October, Demy. Riku's phone has been ringing off the hook like this since school started in September." Axel scooped up the phone as it began to ring again. The caller ID showed a number that he didn't recognize with an area code that was unfamiliar. "He's done nothing to stop the calls. No blocking them, no changing his number… If he really wanted to avoid this person, wouldn't he do more than just ignore them?"

"I guess, but…" Demyx frowned.

"But nothing. I bet I'm doing him a favor." Axel reassured his boyfriend. The phone began to vibrate in his hand again and his green eyes flashed to Demyx's face before he flipped open the phone and answered it with a pleasant "hello."

"Riku?"

Axel hid his mild shock. It was an older man's voice; something he had not been expecting. "This is his roommate. Riku –"

"Can you tell me where Riku is?" there was urgency in the man's voice. "I need to know where my son is."

"Your son?" Axel looked over at Demyx who shrugged his shoulders in response to his boyfriend's shock. "Are… Are you Cheeseburger's dad?"

"Cheseborough." He corrected unkindly. "Please... Please tell me where I can contact him or see him. I need to speak with him."

The redhead frowned, "Why's he been ignoring you?" He didn't expect an answer. He was merely thinking out loud.

"Just where he works or… or where he goes to school maybe." The urgency in his voice made Axel uncomfortable and he suddenly felt extremely stupid for answering his roommate's phone. He was being nosey. Way, way too nosey.

"Uhh…" He walked over to Demyx and passed him the phone, "Here. No take-backsies."

"Axel!" the blond gripped the phone, "I don't want it!" He shoved it at the redhead who put his hands in the air and refused to take it. "Axel!" Demyx whined and followed his boyfriend as he walked toward the balcony. "Take it back!"

"No, Dem, no take-backsies!"

Riku's father had begun to yell and both boys could hear his voice but not his words. Demyx made a face and Axel shrugged and hid his smile. Unsure of what to do and feeling absolutely panicked, the blond opened the balcony doors, made his way quickly over to the edge, and threw the cell phone as far as he could.

Axel stared with shock from the doorway.

"There." Demyx turned and leaned against the railing. "Problem solved."

Axel continued to stare, mouth agape.

"Now Riku will never know we talked to his dad."

"… Except his cell phone is smashed into pieces!" the redhead yelled, "What is wrong with you! Why didn't you just hang up?" Axel walked out onto the balcony and stared at his boyfriend with an exasperated look.

Demyx frowned and then glared. "I'm just trying to help!"

Axel stared at him with an indignant look.

Glaring, the blond gathered up an armful of nothing and then shoved it at Axel. "No take-backsies! This problem is all yours!"

For being dimwitted, Demyx wasn't half-bad when it came to retorts.

••••••••••••••

"**So, just to **make sure I understand this…" Sora paced the length of the downstairs living room slowly, passing back and forth in front of the two boys who sat on the couch. "You answered his phone, you gave the phone to Demyx, and Demyx threw it off the balcony."

Axel and Demyx nodded in unison.

"Why?" Sora stopped pacing and raised a brow. "I don't understand how this went from invading Riku's privacy to smashing his phone into pieces. Who was calling?"

They exchanged a look and then Axel breathed a sigh through his nose. "I can't tell you."

"Oh, well, I can't help you then." Sora shrugged and began to walk away, but Axel mumbled 'wait' under his breath. A smile crossed the brunet's features and he turned back to both of them and waited for an answer.

"It was… It was a family member. Can we leave it at that? I don't need Riku triple pissed at me because I nosed it on his life, broke his phone, and then told his ex who was calling him." Axel sighed irritably and leaned back against the couch. Demyx watched him with a frown.

Sora reached up to touch his chin thoughtfully. "If you tell me who was calling, I'll tell Riku I broke his phone."

The redhead perked up. "What? Really? You think he'll buy that?"

Sora nodded. "I'll just tell him I went upstairs to uh… I dunno… Get something and I heard his phone ringing and answered it. And then I'll tell him I was surprised at whoever it was and I dropped his phone in shock. Pretty brilliant, right?"

Demyx looked at Axel who stared at Sora with his mouth slightly agape and his brow furrowed. "That's awful. God, you suck at lying. Just tell him your phone was acting funny, but you needed to talk to Roxas so you used his phone. And then say you went outside to talk and you dropped it off the balcony."

The brunet shook his head. "He'll see through that. _You_ suck at lying."

"No," Axel stood. "_I'm_ a great liar. You're just mad because I made up a better story."

Sora glared, "No, _I _made up a better story. Riku won't believe anything that comes out of your mouth anyway."

"Oh, pft," the redhead waved his hand dismissively at Sora. "Like he believes anything you say?"

"Yes!" Sora stated unsurely. "I mean… At least he tells me his secrets!"

Jade eyes narrowed and Axel opened his mouth to retort, but Demyx stood and interrupted their argument.

"Let's just tell Riku the truth."

Sora and Axel both looked at the blond as if he'd just suggested they defecate in the corner of the living room.

"Are you _crazy_?" the redhead asked.

"You must not know _anything_ about Riku!" Sora exclaimed.

All at once they began to argue and their argument began to grow in volume the more heated each person become. No one could agree on a course of action and their fight was only interrupted when the sound of the front door opening and closing caught their attention, causing them all to fall silent. They all stood in the living area like animals caught in the headlights and they waited until Roxas walked in through the entry way before picking up the argument exactly where it had left off.

"Oh hey, yea, I'm good. Thanks for asking…" Roxas mumbled to himself before retreating into his bedroom and closing the door with more force than he meant.

"If we lie, eventually he'll find out and he'll be even more upset!" Demyx argued. "Zexion always tells the truth and we've never fought!"

"Zexion is a troublemaking asshole. Don't believe anything he says!" Axel raged.

"We _have_ to lie! Riku holds grudges! If we tell him Axel broke the phone, it could end their friendship!" Sora insisted.

"Whoa!" the redhead looked from Sora to Demyx and back again. "_I_ didn't break his phone! My tool of a boyfriend –"

"Don't be a dick! You screamed 'no take-backsies' and refused to do anything about the problem you created!"

"That's the rules of 'no take-backsies'!"

Their argument continued and the volume it had reached was to a point where none of them heard the front door open and close and no one heard Riku's rushed footsteps. No one heard him yell 'hey' either and it wasn't until the fourth time he yelled that all three turned and looked at him, each with their own unique, guilty expression.

Riku was wet and hardly seemed to notice the shame in the living room. "Axel? Come with me?"

"Why?" the redhead hid his panic. "What do you know?"

"I – what?" he looked briefly bewildered. "Just come with me. I need your help." Aqua eyes fluttered to Demyx's face and Riku bit his lower lip. "Hey… Dem… Isn't it time you go home?"

"Oh, you know… Look at that! Sure is late!" Demyx shrugged and slowly backed out of the living room. "I'll uh… I'll call you later, Axel."

Confusion crossed Riku's features as he watched Demyx sprint from the foyer and out of the duplex. The question 'why is everyone acting so weird' crossed his mind, but he didn't bother asking. They had a bigger problem on their hands right now and he'd play detective later.

"Come with me," he grabbed Axel's wrist and pulled him from his spot in the living room. Sora had managed to inch away and sneak into his bedroom and the redhead seemed to be the only one still committed to somehow fixing this problem.

"What's wrong?" Axel asked as Riku yanked his best friend outside and pulled him over to his car. It was extremely overcasts outside and it was very cold.

"Don't tell Demxy." Riku opened the backseat of his car and Axel didn't bother suppressing his large grin when he saw Zexion tied up with tape over his mouth.

"You know… If this is your way of apologizing to me, then you really are a kickass friend," the redhead half-joked. "So… Why is he tied up?"

Zexion gave Axel a seething look, but he didn't move from his seat. His feet were tied and his hands were tied behind his back. The tape over his face had some red to it and upon a closer inspection the redhead realized Riku must've hit him.

"He knows about your uh… few moments with our blond friend." He ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't want to admit he had been hanging out with Roxas and he didn't want to admit it was Roxas who mistakenly spilled the beans.

"R—"

"Yea," Riku cut him off. Whether Zexion knew about Roxas he wasn't sure, but he certainly did not want the name getting back to Demyx. Eventually Demyx was going to find out about Axel's infidelity one way or another and it would be better for the young musician to assume it was his boyfriend and some unnamed blond kid. Not his boyfriend and one of his friends.

"So we'll cut his tongue out," Axel laughed at the momentary panic that crossed Zexion's features. "No, but really… What do we do with him?"

Riku bit his lower lip. "I don't know. He threatened to tell Demyx, so I panicked and hit him and then tied up and slapped some tape on his mouth. He's not much of a fighter."

Zexion glared at both of them.

Axel was smiling ear-to-ear. "What do you expect? Look at his little spaghetti arms. And he's only like four feet tall."

The blue haired boy was giving Axel the coldest, dirtiest look he could muster. He really had no idea what Demyx saw in the redhead.

"So, Zexy…" Axel leaned down and tore the tape roughly from the captive's face. "We can let you go and you can keep your yap shut _or_ we can put more tape on your mouth and think of a way to keep you quiet."

"You don't deserve Demyx!" he spat, "I'm going to tell him everything once you let me go! He'll notice I'm missing! He'll file a police report!"

"Will he?" Axel raised his brows. "Ask yourself, Zexy… Will Demyx _really_ be so concerned?"

A blush crossed his features and his cold look dropped in intensity. "I – of course!" he stated unsurely. "He's my –"

"Yea, best friend. I heard you the first forty times." The redhead rolled his eyes, "But that doesn't mean shit."

Riku felt a flush creep up the back of his neck and he looked away from Axel and Zexion. Whether the comment was aimed at him, he didn't know, but it made him feel uncomfortable nonetheless. Riku did not want to be the person who destroyed Axel's view of what a best friend was and was not.

"Of course it means something!" Zexion argued. "You obviously don't have a best friend if you think that."

Axel passed a somewhat impassive look to Riku and Riku immediately looked away from the redhead. He felt guilty, and having to see Axel's jade eyes filled with judgment only made him feel worse.

"Look," the redhead reached down toward Zexion's feet and began to untie the rope. "I know you're trying to be a good friend to Demyx, but you and I both know how badly it would hurt him to know what I did. I know you don't want to hurt him, Zexion."

He swallowed thickly and moved his feet. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm letting you go," Axel began to untie the rope that bound his hands. "You're smart. You know I'm right. You know Demyx is crazy about me and you know any negative information about me, about our relationship, would just destroy him."

Once his hands were free, Zexion rubbed at the rope burns on his wrists. "So you're just taking advantage of him? You're going to just keep –"

"No," Axel stood, "I was being an asshole. Cheating on Demy was a mistake and I'm not… I'm not going to do it again."

Riku raised a brow and watched as Zexion stood from the car, dried blood smeared on his pale face. His eyes were fixated on Axel and there was a definite uncertainty there. Zexion greatly detested the redhead, but his care for Demyx was overtaking his want to harm him.

"Fine…" the blue haired boy looked away, "Fine, I'll let it go, but don't misinterpret this. I'm not doing this because I like you. I'm doing this because I care about Demyx. But the next time you screw things up –"

"Yea, yea…" Axel waved his hand dismissively and closed the door to Riku's car. Zexion passed them both suspicious, unsure looks before hesitantly making his way down their driveway and out of sight.

"What about the blood?" Riku looked up at Axel. "Won't Demyx ask?"

"It's my way of apologizing to Zex," the redhead leaned against his best friend's car. "Demy sees the blood, he takes care of Zexion, and Zexion gets to feel all special and important for a little while."

Riku stared at Axel with his mouth slightly open. "So… Have all your relationships been this fucked up or is this like a really special case?"

The redhead reached up to scratch at his head. "Actually… I think this is the most normal relationship I've ever been in."

••••••••••••••

"**Has anyone seen **my phone?" Riku yelled as he walked down the steps in the duplex. It had begun to rain very heavily and he had just been getting ready for bed when he noticed the absence of his cell phone. "It was on my bed!" He walked through the foyer and into the living room. "Hey, Sora, have you seen my phone?"

The brunet was sitting in the middle of the couch, eyes fixated on something that was occurring on the television. "Uh…" he glanced at Riku briefly. "Nope. Ask Axel."

"… He told me to ask you." Riku crossed his arms and gave Sora a look. "Okay, I get it. Haha. Joke's on me. Hilarious. Where's my phone?"

Sora suddenly stood from the couch and stretched. "Wow, it's late…" he grabbed the remote from the coffee table and shut the television off. "I really should get some sleep." He made a move to walk past Riku and into his bedroom, but the older boy placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Sora…"

"Yes?" he looked up at his ex with a look he thought to be fairly innocent.

"Come on, tell me… I need it," he frowned.

"You can just use mine!" Sora offered helpfully.

"Sora," Riku sighed. "What the fuck did you guys do with my phone?" he reached up to rub at his face. He was debating whether or not he really wanted to know. Knowing Axel, it was probably somehow hidden underneath the duplex and knowing Sora, it was probably sitting in a pile of pieces waiting to be glued back together.

"You know, Riku…" the brunet placed a gentle hand on his ex-boyfriend's clothed chest. "You smell like the bakery. It's nice."

"You're making me mad," Riku grasped the hand Sora had placed on his chest and tried to hide the little smile that was threatening to give him away. "The longer you stall, the more concerned I'm getting."

"I'm not stalling." Sora locked eyes with Riku and both boys felt the sudden heat between them. This was the closest they had been in a while and this was probably the nicest encounter they had had in a while. Sometimes they exchanged pleasantries, but mostly they ignored each other to avoid having to talk about their complicated relationship.

"You're bad at lying." Riku placed a gentle hand on Sora's cheek. "So… Are you going to tell me what you did with my phone or are you going to keep playing with me?"

"At this point," the brunet very gently and very briefly kissed Riku's lips, "it might be safer to just keep playing with you."

"Jesus…" he smiled somewhat, "I _really_ don't want to know what the hell you guys did with my phone." He captured Sora's lips in a chaste kiss. There was so much unresolved tension between them. There was so much undeniable heat between them. The few soft, gentle kisses they were hesitantly sharing were slowly becoming more than just that. They became longer and needier and heavier.

They were completely absorbed in one another. Riku tangled a hand in Sora's mess of brown hair and Sora was gripping his ex's t-shirt and yanking him close. Their tongues collided and neither could deny the sudden shock of how good it felt. There was urgency in the way they kissed. There was urgency in the way they were suddenly holding each other. Their kisses were needy; their tongues crashed and collided and fought in a way that sent heat all over their bodies.

"Riku…" Sora pulled back slightly and looked up at his ex. He wore an expression that simply said too much; an expression that completely gave him away.

"Do you want to?" Riku felt his cheeks heat. "Am I completely misreading you?"

The brunet stared up at the older boy. He knew it was foolish to go along with him. Sora knew better than to tangle himself in Riku's web. But he also knew how much he had been denying himself. He was still in love with Riku and he had been trying to avoid this truth. He had been trying so hard to keep his distance.

"I want to." Sora ignored the fear he felt in his chest. "I want you."

Riku captured his ex's lips in a brief, warm kiss. Sora was his. Sora had never stopped being his.

"My room?" Riku pressed a kiss to the brunet's forehead.

Sora nodded and allowed himself to be taken away.

••••••••••••••

_4 Years Earlier_

"_He's looking at me…" Sora sat at a table in the school library with his siblings. They had scheduled all of their courses together and they all were studying for the same class period. They did everything as a group. They were known as the Badcock Quadruplets and not really by anything else. They were referred to as one singular unit, not as individual people._

"_How do you know he's not looking at one of us?" Kairi asked playfully. "How are you so sure it's you?"_

"_He could be looking at me," Roxas pointed out. "You're so self-centered, Sor," he teased._

"_No, no… He's looking at me. Watch his eyes, okay?" Sora stood up from their table and walked over to a shelf of books. The other three Badcock Quadruplets surreptitiously glanced over at the silver haired boy and then back at Sora and, sure enough, he seemed to be looking at the brunet. Kairi and Naminé began to quietly chat with Sora when he sat back down, but Roxas looked away from his siblings._

_The boy, the one who had been looking at Sora, caught Roxas's eye and smiled at him. A light blush tinted his cheeks and he quickly looked away. Roxas didn't have to see the handsome boy smirk to know he was doing it._

••••••••••••••

**His lips touched** every inch of skin on Sora's body. He was leaving no area unexplored. It was as if Riku was trying to memorize every inch of Sora's body. It was as if he was afraid the brunet would fade away after their moment together. Small sounds left the younger boy's lips with each kiss, each lick, each tender touch. He had forgotten how gentle Riku was. He had forgotten how safe he felt when he was with the older boy.

"Riku…" His fingers tangled in his silver locks of hair and Sora shuddered as Riku made little lines with his tongue along his stomach. He let a soft moan pass his lips when Riku kissed and licked his bellybutton. He writhed slightly when his ex reached his naked legs and began to delicately kiss his inner thighs.

This would never feel right with anyone else. Riku knew Sora better than he knew himself. They were two-halves cut from the same lump of clay. They belonged together.

"Y-you're teasing…" Sora whined as Riku only ghosted over his erection.

"Would you like it any other way?" he kissed the tip of Sora's erection and smirked in satisfaction when the brunet softly moaned.

"No…" he answered quietly, truthfully.

He loved the way Riku touched him. He loved Riku.

••••••••••••••

_Roxas was standing outside the men's bathroom waiting for his brother. Kairi and Naminé had already gone home for the day, but Roxas and Sora stayed after school to practice with the soccer team. They had joined a sport at the request of their father, but Roxas would've been fine going straight home after school to be with his mother. She took at least two business trips a year and these trips lasted anywhere from a month to three months. These trips greatly bothered Roxas because it meant time without her._

"_Hey."_

_He looked up and then quickly looked away when he noticed the boy from the library walking toward him. His hair was wet and he had a towel around his neck. He was wearing the school's swim team shorts and he walked straight over to Roxas._

"_Are you afraid of me?" he smirked._

"_My mother told me not to talk to strangers," Roxas responded somewhat playfully._

"_Sounds like a smart woman. I'm Riku."_

"_I'm Roxas." He shook the other boy's hand and noted how aesthetically pleasing he was. "We saw you looking at my brother in the library."_

"_Are you sure?" Riku inched closer to Roxas and caught his eye, "How do you know I wasn't looking at you?"_

_Roxas blushed and immediately looked down at his feet. "Because we saw you look at him when he stood up and walked away."_

"_Yea, but..." Riku grasped the blonde's chin gently and made Roxas look at him. "I smiled at you."_

••••••••••••••

**Sora was beneath** Riku and he was raking his nails down his ex's back. Small, needy moans left his pink lips as Riku pushed in and out of him in a gentle, rhythmic way. The brunet could not recall the last time he had felt this good. Being with Riku just felt right. Being like _this_ with Riku felt even better. He clawed and scratched his way down the older boy's back and the small gasps that left Riku's lips only encouraged Sora's behavior.

Something told Sora Roxas would be pissed if he knew about this.

"Y-you're gonna l-leave marks…" Riku breathed shakily as he pushed in and out of the small boy.

"B-bad?" he breathed back.

Riku shook his head and leaned down to kiss Sora's neck. "No…" he traced the shell of his ex's ear with his tongue. "N-not for me."

Sora would have to ask him what he meant by that later.

••••••••••••••

"_I think I like him."_

"_Who? Riku?" Roxas looked up from his English homework and frowned when he saw the dreamy expression that had overtaken his twin's features. They were in the library again, with Kairi and Naminé, and Sora was staring unabashedly at Riku. He was casting glances over at their table and when he waved, Sora would smile and look away._

"_Yea," the brunet nodded. Kairi and Naminé smiled at each other._

"_Do you think he'll ask you out?" Kairi leaned over her books and asked quietly._

"_I hope so," Sora responded. "He keeps looking at me."_

_Roxas and Naminé exchanged a look and Roxas suddenly got the feeling that, even though he had never said anything, she knew Riku was looking at Roxas. He got the feeling that she knew what was really going on, what Roxas was hiding from them. He looked away from her quickly and tried to hide his guilty expression._

_He didn't lie to his siblings. Aside from the private conversations he had with his mother, he told them everything._

"_I'm gonna go look for a book." Roxas stood suddenly and quickly walked away from their table. Kairi and Sora began to talk amongst themselves about what a date with someone as handsome as Riku would be like and both failed to notice Riku slyly following Roxas into the depths of their large library. Naminé noticed. She wished she hadn't._

"_My brother likes you," the blond felt the hair on his neck rise when Riku cornered him against a back shelf in the library. "Go after him."_

"_You two are different…" he stroked the back of Roxas's cheek with his hand. "I could make a life with Sora, but I could have a lot of fun with you."_

_Roxas blushed and looked away. "I think you're calling me a slut."_

"_I think I'm telling you you're cute."_

_His blush increased and when Riku went to touch his face again, Roxas gave him a slight push away. "Stop. I don't like you, Riku. Please stop…"_

"_You don't like the attention I give you?" he grabbed the blonde's hand and held it. "You're one of four, Roxas. You're a matched set. You're not even really your own person. You have a brother who looks just like you. Doesn't my attention make you feel special?"_

_Roxas felt his heart race in his chest. "No…" he lied._

"_It's okay," Riku put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay to like the attention. Isn't it hard being one of four? Isn't it hard when there are three other people who look like you? One person who looks_ just_ like you?"_

"_Riku…" Roxas frowned. "What do you want from me?"_

_He thought this over for a moment. "Kiss me."_

"_What? N-no, I –"_

"_Kiss me and I'll leave you alone. I'll ask your brother out. This can be our secret, okay?"_

_His heart raced in his chest and he looked at Riku with fear in his eyes. "W-why do you want to kiss me?"_

"_Because I like you," Riku smiled kindly. "Because you're adorable and I think it's sweet you care about your brother so much. Have you ever been kissed?"_

_Roxas shook his head. _

"_God, you're cute." He cupped the blonde's cheek and kissed his lips briefly._

_Roxas would've been lying if he said he wanted Riku to stop. He was gorgeous. He was flirtatious and he was funny and he was gorgeous and he liked Roxas. And Roxas… Roxas was giving him up because Sora liked him. Roxas was giving up this seemingly perfect human being because he cared about his brother._

"_A-again?" the blonde breathed nervously. "Practice makes perfect." He pointed out._

_Riku laughed gently and captured the younger boy's lips in a perfect, crush-inducing kiss._

••••••••••••••

**He had Sora** wrapped tightly in his arms. They were both sweaty and hot, but extremely satisfied with what they had just accomplished. Riku's chest rose and fell in long, deep breathes and Sora's breathing was quick. The brunet could feel his ex's heartbeat against his back and he found this extremely comforting and he wasn't sure why.

"Riku?" he gripped his lover's hands.

"Yea?" he pressed little kisses to Sora's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Yea," he replied. "Do… Do you remember our first kiss?"

A little smile lined his lips and he nuzzled his face in Sora's messy locks of brown hair. "I remember everything about us."

The brunet smiled to himself and he noted he felt extremely relaxed in his Riku's arms. They were meant to be like this. It was unreasonable to think otherwise. They fit together so perfectly. They were two pieces of the same puzzle.

"Sora?"

"Hm?"

Riku hesitated, "I love you."

Without a second's thought Sora responded, "I love you too."

They had never stopped loving each other.

••••••••••••••

"**Disturbing the peace**, littering, and kidnapping. You're lucky I'm only ticketing you. I could arrest you for kidnapping a minor."

"He's not a minor!" Axel yelled in fury. "He just looks like he's twelve! And I didn't even kidnap him! It was my idiot of a roommate!"

"What does it say at the top of your ticket?" Officer Leonhart asked, "Will you read it for me?"

The redhead looked at the ticket and felt his blood boil. "It says Axel."

"Mhm… And what's the last name?"

He hesitated before saying, "I'm the only Axel around here. Do I really to say my last name out loud?"

"So long as you know the ticket has your name at the top, so you obviously committed the crime." Officer Leonhart wrote something down in his ticket book and it took all of Axel's will-power not to snatch the book from him and beat him senseless.

"I didn't do it though! You could write my name on ANY ticket and fine me out the ass!" he crumpled the tickets in his hand and threw them on the ground.

"Tsk, tsk…" Office Leonhart shook his head. "Littering AND defying an officer."

Axel felt his face heat with rage. "You already GAVE me a ticket for littering!"

"That was for the broken cell phone we found in your neighbor's backyard," he replied coolly as he wrote two more tickets.

"How do you even know that came from my house?" He felt completely exasperated at this point and he knew that if Officer Leonhart didn't leave, he'd end up in jail for assaulting a cop.

"I have my sources." He ripped the two tickets from his book and handed them to Axel. "I hope you've learned your lesson. Maybe I won't have to stop by here again. You have thirty days to pay your _outstanding_ fines or I'll be back here to haul your ass off to jail."

Axel slammed the door as soon as Officer Leonhart had walked away. The tickets he had crumpled and thrown on the ground were scooped up and crumpled up again with the two new tickets he had just received. Outraged by the tickets and fines that weren't really his fault, he stormed up the stairs of the duplex and walked into the living area.

"Riku!" he yelled as he walked over to his roommate's bedroom. Axel didn't bother to knock and, instead, shoved the door open. "I just got FIVE tickets and you have to pay for ha—" a blush crossed his cheeks and Sora and Riku, who had been sleeping, looked up at the redhead with tired expressions.

"Uh…" he made a face, "Sorry." The redhead slowly backed out of the room and closed the door. He stood at the doorway momentarily before dropping his tickets to the floor and running from the upper portion of the duplex to the lower portion. He ran into the foyer, through the living room, and stopped only when he was at Roxas's bedroom door.

It was early Sunday morning, around eight. Axel had been awoken by Officer Leonhart banging on their door and now, after catching Sora and Riku in bed, he _had_ to tell Roxas. Surely this was news to him.

Without knocking, he walked into the bedroom and rushed over to his duplex-mate's bed. He was sleeping, half-dressed and looking peaceful, and Axel threw himself down on the bed, causing Roxas to jolt awake.

"Ah – Axel!" he sat up suddenly, clearly frightened by Axel's proximity to him and the creepy smile that lined the redhead's features. "What… Jesus – what?"

"Guess what, Zombie!"

Roxas blinked hard and then rubbed at his eyes. "What?" he lied back on the bed and sighed. He stared up at the ceiling and then glanced over at the clock to see what time it was.

"Guess who I just saw in bed together."

The blond gave the redhead a look, "You're weird."

"It was Sora and Riku!"

Shock passed his features, but he quickly covered it with an impassive look. He turned on his side, away from Axel, and then mumbled, "So? Big deal. Talk to me when you have something interesting to say."

"Hey, come on…" the redhead placed a hand on the blonde's arm. "Roxy, what's wrong? Isn't this good news? There was some serious sexual tension between them."

"I don't care," Roxas replied much more roughly than he meant. "Leave me alone."

His brow furrowed and he took his hand away from the younger boy. "Fine, Zombie. You're uncool anyway."

Annoyed, Axel slipped from the blonde's bed and left the room. He shut the door somewhat forcefully when he left, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't even deliver good news without Roxas getting his underwear in a bunch. Did he really detest Axel that much? Was he really so bothered by the redhead? A sigh left his lips as he trudged into the kitchen for some breakfast.

Roxas, however, was left trying to figure out why he suddenly felt so hurt. He was left trying to reason through why it felt like someone had just squeezed his heart until it popped.

••••••••••••••

"_I have my date with Riku tonight,"_ _Sora stated enthusiastically. He was primping himself in front of the mirror in their joint bathroom. Roxas sat on the edge of the bathtub watching as Sora attempted to do something with his insane mess of brown hair. "I didn't think he was going to ask me out."_

_Roxas shrugged. "You just had to give him time. Maybe he was trying to sort through some personal stuff." He breathed deeply through his nose and watched Sora attempt to pat down one of the many cowlicks that plagued his head of chocolate-brown hair. "He's weird."_

"_What do you mean?" He looked over at his twin._

"_I… I just mean he…" Roxas looked away. "I don't know. He just seems weird to me."_

_Sora shrugged. "What should I wear?"_

"_Something to bring out your eyes." Roxas stopped himself from saying 'because he likes boys with blue eyes.' "Is Mom around?" The blond stood from the edge of the tub and made his way to the bathroom door._

"_Yea. She's in her room."_

_Roxas nodded and left the bathroom without a word. He walked down the hallway, down the steps, and then he made his way to his mother's room, ignoring Kairi and Naminé who were playing some kind of game on the dining room table. The door to his mother's room was open and she was standing in front of her full-length mirror, putting on make-up and wearing a very beautiful dress._

"_Where are you going?" Roxas couldn't cover the hurt in his voice._

_Immediately, she turned her full attention to her son. "What's wrong?" her eyes were wide with concern. "Why are you upset?"_

_He closed her bedroom quietly and made his way to her bed. Their father was gone, some kind of business related thing, and Roxas preferred things this way. His father often noted that his son was nothing more than a "mama's boy" and he frowned upon how Roxas went to her for everything. He found it very unfitting for a boy his age._

_But Roxas was only almost fifteen._

"_Sora's going on a date." He laid face-down on her bed. "With a boy that I like."_

"_Oh, Roxy…" she frowned and walked over to him. She sat on the bed and began to gently rub his back in a soothing manner. "Does he know you like this boy?"_

_Roxas shook his head. "But I know the boy likes me."_

_He heard her breathe a gentle sigh through her nose. She was thinking of what to say next. Roxas tended to be extremely fragile and his mother, knowing Roxas did not tell his siblings what she said to him, often told him he was her favorite. She filled Roxas with ideas about his status with her. She made him believe that he truly was more important than his siblings because he was his mother's favorite._

"_What aren't you telling me?" she asked gently._

_Roxas frowned. "I knew Sora liked him, but he kept coming to me, Mom. I told him to ask Sora out. It just… Sora liked him first and I didn't want to take that from him."_

_She ran her fingers through his hair. "That's a very loving thing you did for Sora, Roxy… Unfortunately, sometimes when you act selfless you end up getting hurt."_

_Roxas buried his face in her blankets. "It's not fair."_

"_Life's not very fair sometimes," she said not unkindly, "but you'll end up getting rewarded for the nice things you have done for others."_

_He didn't say anything. He enjoyed the way she ran her fingers through his hair. He enjoyed the way her voice soothed and comforted him. He liked knowing that he could talk to his mother about anything and she would never judge him. He would always be her favorite._

"_Do you know what I love about you most, Roxy?" she cooed. "I love how much you care about others. Even when you were little, you were always taking care of your siblings. If someone dropped their ice cream, you would give them yours. If someone broke their toy, you would try and put it back together. You're a good brother, Roxy, and you're a good son."_

_He sighed gently and found he felt mildly better about the situation. It was nice knowing how much his mother appreciated him and it was nice knowing she thought him to be the most caring and giving out of all his siblings._

"_I know you like this boy," she said, "but I'm willing to bet there's a boy out there who's fifty times better."_

_Roxas smiled somewhat, "Yea, right."_

"_I bet he's thirty times more handsome. I bet he's witty and funny and everybody loves him. I bet he's absolutely crazy in love with you and he'd climb to the highest mountain top if it meant he got to be with you."_

_The blond rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "How will I know it's him? How will I know this is the guy I'm supposed to be with?"_

"_He'll know the magic word!" she replied enthusiastically._

_Roxas looked up at his mother, "Please?"_

"_No," she laughed, "he'll call you by that special name I gave you without you ever even telling him about it."_

_His brows furrowed for a moment in thought. "He'll call me Roxy?"_

_She nodded and smiled, "That's how you'll know."_

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter is somewhat shorter by about a thousand words. THIS IS NOT BETA-EDITED. I wanted to get this posted so I'm being a tool and not having it beta-edited. Please just excuse any minor errors (typos, punctuation issues, etc).

AGAIN – I'm really sorry this was late! I'm going to seriously really try and update once every three-four weeks. Generally I update once every two weeks, but school is a bummer.

So… There you have it. Some flash backs, some foreshadowing, some Sora x Riku lovin'.  
PLEASE NOTE, the time frames in this story are approximations. I hate having characters say things like "yes, it was exactly five years, three weeks, two days, and twenty hours ago" sooo the time frames aren't exact. Their mom died three and a half to four years ago (as time moves in the story, so does this date) so Roxas and his siblings were like 15-16 (going by the assumption they're all 19-20 now).  
Does anyone else here hate math?

Expect another update late September to end of September. I might just make the chapters shorter to push them out faster. I'm not sure yet.  
The next chapter we'll see what Riku does about his phone, how Sora reacts to Riku's mysterious caller, and take an unpleasant stroll down memory lane.

Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading!

**Thank you for Reviewing:**

**Sana-chan9**: I'm from Russia originally, but I moved to America years and years ago. I know that game, but only because one of my friends showed it to me. It's kind of fun…? Hahaha. That's the dirtiest name ever. I bet that shit wasn't an accident either. There's no way someone thinks 'Slickwoody' and 'Cornhole' can go together without sounding filthy.

**AdiosCiaoCiao: **Thank you kindly. I actually meant for this story to wrap-up in about five to seven chapters. I don't see that happening. This story will probably end up being ten to twelve chapters (still short by fanfiction standards).

**Starxsoleil: **Aw, thanks. The interactions between some characters are really hard to write. Riku and Roxas are particularly difficult because I want their relationship to come off as somewhat strained without being awkward. Right now I feel like it's too awkward. Oh well.

**Sensory Overload: **I really hate the way people portray Naminé in most stories too. I see Kairi as somewhat girly, but not Naminé. She seems more… artsy and quiet. Not giggly and shy. I think her quietness makes people portray her as shy, but I think her quietness is more of a lack of something to say. That's just my opinion though. I was thinking about doing a flashback for the whole Roxas x Riku x Sora thing. I think that story deserves to be fully played out.

**EggPanPockyMan: **Oh, thanks! I usually write those small pieces in to avoid writing "he said blah blah blah and then she said blah blah blah" a whole bunch of times. I try to break up the dialogue a little bit because I loathe swimming in a sea of dialogue. The dialogue-sea is only made worse when the author forgets to write 'Roxas said' or 'Axel yelled' or whatever. Very irritating trying to keep track of who said what.

**Khuronji: **I think I prefer Axel as gay for only Roxas. I really needed to develop the softer, more sensitive side of Axel. He was beginning to seem really one dimensional and I really wanted to incorporate his whole artist thing.

**TopHatGlow: **Yea, shanking is way cooler when it means stabbing someone with a bar of soap carved into the shape of a knife. I prefer that definition as well. My writing loves you back and not in the sappy way that crappy romance movies portray (-gag- _Dear John_), but in a way that can only be described like this: if my writing could get you pregnant, it would not bail on you and your baby. I'm pretty sure that's love.

**SitarLover: **You know… I was really afraid of them sounding stupid. They're not too difficult to write, but sometimes the moral will conflict with the actual story (and sometimes the moral just doesn't fit the fable at all. That's me not paying any attention). I'm glad you like this story so much. Definitely a day-brightener.

**Wings of the Valkyria: **This analogy KILLED me. I rewrote it like seven times because I couldn't figure out how to make it make sense with the rest of the dialogue. And sometimes I got WAY too literal with it and it was like "and then your skin burns off and you have to go to the hospital for skin graphs and then you're forever deformed and no one will ever love you… err, what were we talking about? Oh yea! Love.. It's uh… It's cool." I hate drawn-out analogies. It's so hard to stick to the point.

**AkakoChiYuki: **This update is late. I feel like a lazy jerk. On the upside, you've just read (or you're going to read) the most recent update! Huzzah!

**RennyWasHere: **I wanted to integrate Naminé more into the story and I wanted to introduce the artistic side of Axel. What a better way to do it than putting the two of them together? I keep feeling like I should put Kairi in the story more, but it's so hard to write for more than two or three characters at once. When I was writing Axel, Dem, Roxas, and Riku together waaaay back in chapter 2, I was having trouble coordinating everyone's movements and I kept forgetting who was in the scene. Again, just more laziness on my part.  
I'm actually stalking you. I know your schedule and I update on the days you're busy. ;] Just to torture you a little bit.

**Heartless-lover12:** You know… I'm pretty surprised at the amount of people who don't like Axel x Roxas. I really adore the pairing, but it seems a lot of people really don't care for it. I'm glad there are other couples / pairings in this story because I really don't think it'd be as popular if it was solely Axel x Roxas. And fiiiiinally. Another person who likes the long chapters. I was beginning to think all of three to four people enjoyed the long chapters.

**Daydreamishly: **The irony in this is that you're not first this time.

**Twilighter21:** I like an embarrassed Axel. He's always depicted as suave and cool so I like showing his more vulnerable side. I like my Roxas as cold as ice and my Axel as hot and as vulnerable as fire. The book cover was really, really hard to describe. I really think I suck at describing pictures (because I either cram too much detail in so it's confusing or I don't add enough so it's not satisfying). This chapter is probably one of the only chapters I'll be describing pictures.

**Animearlinefreak: **I agree. I think the main reason for the lack of reviews (though I do have quite a few) is because of the main pairing in this story. I don't think a lot of people care for Axel x Roxas (which is fine. Axel x Demyx is not my cup of tea, so to each his own). There are a lot of favorites / alerts for this story which is really fantastic, but I do like seeing the reviews. I love feedback probably more than I love myself (that's saying something. I love myself to pieces).  
It's debated whether or not Aesop himself was real, but the fables were real and were said to be written by Aesop when he was a slave (he was Greek or Roman, but I'm going to go with Roman because he spoke Latin. Don't quote me on that though). The fables in this story were written by me, but google Aesop's fables sometime. They're quick reads and there are about a billion of them.

**Vithian: **It's really hard to be original on here now. There are so many stories and so many plots and the thing is… even if the plots are tired and old, people will gravitate and read the same stories that deal with high school or pregnancy or drugs or whatever other stereotypical crap goes on in these American high schools nowadays. I'm not saying those types of stories can't be good, but people definitely tend to hit up these stories way more than others.  
I hate an extremely naïve Roxas. It bothers me. He never really struck me as naïve with the exception of the beginning of _Days_ for the DS. I draw aspects of his personality from _Kingdom Hearts II_ because he's spunky and cocky and he's stubborn. It's the same with Axel. I hate the flirtatious, but all-around good guy that people portray Axel as. Axel's not a good guy. If he cares about someone, he'll probably do whatever he can to keep them around / happy. And if he doesn't, he'll probably do whatever to make himself happy. Like cheat on Demyx with Roxas because Roxas is what he actually wants.  
Err… that's what I think. End rant.

**JustSayNoToPants:** Thanks! I do try to keep the characters, well, in-character, but the more I write (and the more people review), I notice keeping a character "in-character" is really just how you perceive that character. Some people perceive Roxas as naïve, others don't. Some people perceive Axel as a bad guy, others don't.  
The personalities and attitudes of the characters are something important in this story particularly because I don't like people who write their characters as "all good" or "all bad." It's not the way people are. I mean… You learn from this chapter that Roxas gives up Riku so Sora will be happy, but then you already know that later on, Roxas forces himself on Riku. I appreciate these small differences particularly because I feel it gives each character depth. Also, one dimensional characters piss me off.


	6. They Stroll Down Memory Lane

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **This is EXTREMELY late. However, it is filled with Axel x Roxas goodness and a tiny bit of Sora x Riku goodness at the end. It's also slightly longer than usual. I'm sorry about the wait, again, and everyone's patience is GREATLY appreciated. College is such a bummer.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

VI – They Stroll Down Memory Lane

"**When did your **mom die?"

The question caught him off-guard and it took him a few moments to process what he had just been asked. Normally, Axel woke Roxas up by jumping on his bed or saying his name a few hundred times or shaking him. But today the redhead was standing at the blonde's bookshelf, searching through the many different titles with an expression of total content. How long he had been there, Roxas didn't know and he wasn't going to ask.

"Uh…" the blonde rolled over onto his back and starred upward at the ceiling. "Jesus. What time is it?" he grabbed his alarm clock from the bedside table and sighed. "It's five in the morning. What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep. I blame your brother."

Roxas scowled and yanked a pillow over his face. "Leave."

"Oh, come on," Axel turned to face his duplex-mate. "I don't want to listen to Riku and Sora do it."

"Then go outside. Go for a morning jog. It's five AM. I'm sure some place is open for breakfast." He mumbled from underneath the pillow.

The redhead contemplated these suggestions momentarily. "Ok. Let's go get breakfast."

Roxas yanked the pillow from his face and looked over at Axel. He had already made the decision to say 'no,' but something about the way the other looked made the blonde suddenly change his mind. Maybe it was the dark circles under Axel's eyes, or his disheveled hair, or the fact that he looked exactly how Roxas always felt: exhausted and fed up with the people around him.

"Ok."

"Really?" Axel perked up considerably. "Well hot damn, Zombie. I'll grab your car keys."

••••••••••••••

**Axel had come **to the conclusion that Roxas was much more tolerant of his antics early in the morning. He got to drive Roxas' car despite his suspended license, he got to choose the radio station despite the blonde's usual dislike of anything fun, and he got to choose where they would go for breakfast because Roxas didn't seem to care one way or another. He just seemed pleased to be leaving the duplex for once and having something to do.

"Cold?" Axel teased. The blonde was slumped in the front seat with the blanket from his bed wrapped around his body. The window was cracked just the slightest bit so Roxas could occasionally tap the ashes from his cigarette out the window.

"Freezing," he responded.

For mid-October, it was fairly cold. The weather had gone from hot to wintry in the course of a few weeks and the early mornings were the worst. It had to be around forty-five degrees. The small drafts of cold air that came in from the cracked window were leaving Roxas with goose bumps.

"Where are we going?" The blond tossed the end of his cigarette, but didn't roll the window up.

"It's a surprise."

"Oh, God…" Roxas sighed.

"Where is your sense of adventure, Zombie?" Axel asked playfully.

"Home in bed, where all senses of adventure are at this time in the morning," he grumbled not unkindly.

The redhead offered a small smile. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Is it about my mom?" Roxas frowned.

"No," Axel replied. "It's about Sora and Riku."

"Oh, fantastic." He rolled his eyes. "Can it be a question about my mom instead?"

"See, that's what I don't understand. I know something happened between Sora and Riku and you, but I don't know what. But it was something bad, wasn't it?"

It was clear from Roxas' expression that the answer was 'yes.'

They were silent for a long time. The radio played softly in the background, something kind of jazzy, and the wind blowing in through the crack in the window created a soft whistling whenever Axel sped up.

"It's… It's like you guys think I don't have feelings." Axel's voice was forcibly even. "It's like all of you assume that I don't ever feel left out or that I don't ever feel bad. Do you have any idea what it's like living with a group of people who all have this huge secret that you can't know? And what's worse is that… I'm not a stranger. I've known all of you for years. Riku has been my best friend for years and I..." he paused and thought for a moment. "Maybe it's not my business, but I feel like it should be."

Roxas shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The usual playfulness, the usual flirtatiousness, the usual laughter and deviousness had left Axel and the blonde could not recall a time when the redhead seemed so… honest. He had seen Axel upset. He had seen him tired and intoxicated and stressed. But he had never witnessed this before.

"It's not on purpose," Roxas mumbled. "We're not trying to make you feel left out. It's… It's just private. It's our lives, Axel. It's not some kind of awesome secret we all share. It's a massive bump in our history together. If you and Riku had something private, something private and bad, would you want it shared around? It's bad enough Kairi and Naminé know."

"I'm not prying, Roxas." Axel gave the blonde a look, "I'm not asking around about it. It's all around me. How the hell am I supposed to ignore something that I can't even get away from? I get it's private, but… but that doesn't make me feel any less like an outsider."

A blush came to the blonde's cheeks when he realized that he had had this conversation before, except it was with Riku and it was about the death of his mother. It was funny, and Roxas guessed coincidence, that Axel was reiterating what his best friend had said years ago.

"I knew you in high school. You're the reason I became best friends with Riku."

"What?" Roxas looked up at Axel. "What are you talking about?" The quick subject change caught him off-guard.

"You don't remember?" he smiled. "I was going to kick Riku's ass for you."

"You're making that up," the blonde mumbled unsurely.

"I swear I'm not," Axel's smile increased. "You didn't ask me to. You were just upset and you told me it was because of this guy named Riku, so I was gonna go beat him up."

"Oh my God," Roxas tried to hide his smile. "We weren't even friends in high school."

"Sure we were. Just not for very long. You sort of fell off the face of the earth."

The blonde thought about this for a moment. He couldn't recall feeling anything toward Axel other than complete and total loathing, but… Maybe 'friends' was stretching it. Maybe Axel was just remembering things how they _should_ have been.

••••••••••••••

"_**It's free to **__look, but it'll cost you if you wanna touch."_

_He had never seen this boy before, but he had heard of him. He was heavily talked about around school, both negatively and positively, and Roxas had been told by multiple people that it would be in his best interest to stay away from Axel. Roxas had been told he was Axel's type. He had been told that the redhead had a thing for blondes and an even bigger thing for twins. He also happened to have a thing for young, naïve, virgin, freshmen boys. Roxas did not appreciate this._

"_I wasn't looking at you." The blond stated bluntly. "I was looking at –" he paused, hesitated, and then mumbled "nothing. I was looking at nothing."_

_He had been looking at Riku who was sitting at a table across the library with Sora. Roxas, who didn't want to be noticed by them, had chosen to sit somewhere where he was partially hidden by a book shelf. He could see them, but they couldn't see him and he preferred it this way. He was smitten with Riku and it was best if Sora didn't know._

_Their first date had gone well, much to Roxas' dismay. However, that didn't mean Riku wasn't finding time for Roxas. That didn't mean they didn't get together to kiss and touch in secret. It didn't mean anything because as far as Roxas knew, Riku and his brother weren't even dating. They were just talking. They were just feeling each other out._

"_Uhuh… Nothing." Axel mused. He pulled a chair out and sat down next to Roxas. "I know you."_

_The blonde gave Axel a look. "I know you too. And you're not a good person."_

"_Ouch. You're judgmental. Did it ever occur to you that maybe people spread vicious rumors about me? Maybe there's just a select group of people who hate me and decide to ruin my reputation?"_

_Well, no. It hadn't occurred to Roxas, but that didn't seem to matter much. Axel didn't wait for an answer before he continued talking._

"_Exactly. I'm Axel."_

"_And I'm leaving," Roxas closed the textbook he had been pretending to read and he began to gather up his notebook and his papers. His eyes were fixated on Riku and Sora who also happened to be packing up their things and leaving the library too._

"_You know," Axel smirked delightedly. "If you're going to stalk someone, you should be less obvious."_

"_I'm not stalking anyone." Roxas blushed and slowed the pace at which he put things in his backpack._

"_You're starring at that couple over there. You're terrible at lying, by the way."_

_His blush increased. "They're not a couple," he stated rather defensively._

"_Well, I imagine you would know since you're stalking them." Axel teased._

_Roxas glared at him and then quickly left the library in an embarrassed huff._

••••••••••••••

"**I can't believe **you drove us all the way out here," Roxas untangled himself from his blanket and glanced up at Axel.

"Like you have anything better to do?" Axel teased as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

They had stopped at this diner back over the summer when they had made the trip to the redhead's house. Roxas couldn't imagine why in the world Axel would want to come back. It was a small, truck-stop diner in the middle of nowhere and the food wasn't particularly worth the hour drive it took to get there. However, his exhaustion and his amusement kept him from complaining. This was some sort of strange Axel-gesture and Roxas wasn't going to intentionally sabotage the moment.

Both boys exited the vehicle and made their way to the front doors of the diner. They walked inside and chose to sit at the booth they had sat at last time. This time the sun was rising instead of setting and Roxas appreciated the feeling of familiarly this place gave him.

Their waitress walked over and they both ordered coffee.

"With cream," Roxas said before she walked away. "Lots of cream."

Axel smiled.

"Black coffee is gross…" Roxas shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

••••••••••••••

"_**So…" Roxas fiddled **__with the edge of his blanket. Their room was dark and he wasn't even sure if his brother was awake. They had school tomorrow and, because they were freshmen, a bedtime was still enforced by their mother. A rule she would sometimes bend for Roxas if he got up from bed after all his siblings had fallen asleep._

"_What?" Sora asked._

"_Are you and Riku dating?" he tried to sound casual, "I haven't heard you say anything about it lately."_

"_Oh," he sounded surprised. "I didn't think you cared. I've been talking to Kairi about it a lot."_

_Roxas wanted to say "that's weird. I've been talking to Naminé about it too" but he didn't. His conversations with Naminé were personal. He knew she wouldn't blab to Kairi the way Kairi would blab to anyone who would listen. He knew what he said to Naminé was completely confidential._

"_Well, are you?" Roxas asked again._

"_Dating Riku?" Sora sighed, "I don't know. We've gone out on like five dates, but he just seems… distracted." He shifted in his bed. "Like we kiss and he holds my hand, but he just…" a pause, "it's as if he's looking over his shoulder for something else. Like he's waiting for someone else to come up and make a move on him."_

_Roxas felt his cheeks heat and he was glad it was dark in their room. "Maybe some guys are just like that."_

"_Maybe," Sora yawned. "I don't know enough about him to say, but I like Riku a lot."_

_Roxas stopped himself from saying "yea, me too."_

••••••••••••••

"**Tell me," Axel **pressed.

"What's there to tell?" Roxas frowned as he stirred his coffee. "You didn't take me all the way out here just to pry, did you?"

"No," Axel answered honestly. "I took you out here because I like you."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Great. I hope you're not hoping for some kind of booty call."

"No," Axel laughed, "I don't treat my booty calls to breakfast." He winked and Roxas raised his brows.

"You just treat them to dinner because you know sex is better when you have energy to burn."

"Oh, really?" the redhead smiled softly. "And just what do you know about sex, Roxy?"

The indignant look on his face screamed 'a lot more than you think.'

••••••••••••••

_**Roxas had decided **__to make a move on Riku based on what Sora had said to him last night. It was October and Riku had started taking Sora out in the beginning of September. If he hadn't made a move on Sora by now, then he obviously wasn't going to at all. Roxas had reasoned this out on the bus to school and had come to the conclusion that while he had given up Riku for Sora, it would be wrong to let Riku lead his twin brother on. So it was Roxas' moral obligation to snatch Riku from his brother's hands._

_Naminé wasn't so sure about this when he told her of his plan during their first period class._

"_Maybe he's waiting for the right moment to make a move on Sora," she whispered to her brother._

"_Nami," Roxas whispered back, "he keeps leading me off to secluded areas to kiss. He tells me I'm cute and that he likes me. He keeps going out with Sora, but that's because I told him too. I thought maybe if they went out, he would fall for Sora and forget about me, but he hasn't. It's a_ sign_ that I should make a move on Riku."_

_Naminé frowned. "I thought it was your _moral obligation_ to make a move on Riku."_

"_What?" Roxas asked, "Oh – oh yea. That too."_

_She sighed and leaned back in her seat. She wanted to advise her brother against his plan, but how could she? Roxas had fallen for Riku and he had fallen hard._

••••••••••••••

"**So you're not** a virgin?" Axel had such an impassive look on his face that Roxas couldn't decide if he really was impassive or if he was upset and this was his attempt at hiding it. It seemed like a strange thing to be upset about. It wasn't as if they had dated and it wasn't like they were dating now. Roxas knew Axel was interested in him, but why would his virginity matter? He was 19 and a boy. He lost his virginity the first chance he got.

"Does it matter?" Roxas was looking into his coffee cup. They had flipped through their menus and ordered their food and now they sat in a somewhat awkward silence.

"I guess not." Axel shrugged, the impassive look still stuck on his features. "I guess I just assumed you were."

"You're mad." He sighed and leaned back in the booth. "Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad. Just surprised."

"And disappointed."

"Roxas," Axel gave him a stony look. "I'm just surprised. You're… sort of bitchy. I just didn't think someone would actually…"

"Sleep with me?" Roxas glared. "Thanks."

"Oh, come on." He rolled his eyes, "You're always overly shocked when someone sleeps with me."

"Yea, but that's because you're a disease-infested trollop."

"Not true. Do you see my point?" Axel raised a brow.

Roxas grumbled something under his breath and stared into his mug of creamy coffee.

••••••••••••••

_**As soon as **__the last bell rang, Roxas was up and out of his seat and searching for Riku. He had contemplated exactly what he was going to say all day. He had written the words out on paper multiple times and he had resisted the urge to send a text message to the older boy. He wanted to do this in person. This was important._

_Kids flooded the hallway in excitement. It was Friday afternoon and a long-weekend, something Roxas should've been more excited about. However, he was in a rush to see Riku. He had been purposefully avoiding the older boy all day to make this moment all the more special. He hurried down the steps, shoving past kids and making his way over to the library._

_This was Riku's normal spot and Roxas figured today would be no different. A breath was taken before he pushed the library doors open and, quite literally, ran into the person he had been looking for._

"_Riku!"_

"_Hey," he smiled in his usual charming manner._

"_I need to talk to you." Roxas slipped his hand into the older boy's own and was briefly shocked when Riku pulled his hand away._

"_Later," he looked around in both directions before placing a very brief kiss to Roxas' lips. "I'm meeting someone."_

"_What?" The blonde could not mask his hurt. "But Riku, I –"_

"_Hey, Roxas…. Riku…." Sora walked into the library with a small smile on his face. "Was your dad okay with me coming over today?" he grabbed Riku's hand and pressed a kiss to his cheek._

_Roxas' mouth fell open slightly and he looked extremely hurt. Riku looked away, trying his mask his own guilt, and Sora looked from his brother to his boyfriend and back again._

"_Is everything okay?" he asked kindly. "Rox –"_

"_Fine," the blond replied stiffly. "I guess you're dating now?"_

_Sora grinned and nodded eagerly and Riku refused to take his eyes from the floor._

"_Oh, well… I'm glad that it worked out." Roxas mumbled stupidly before quickly leaving the library._

••••••••••••••

"**So who took **it?" Axel sipped his coffee, his jade eyes staring curiously at Roxas.

"You make it sound like five dollars," the blonde muttered. "I don't kiss and tell."

"Was it someone I know?" he pressed.

"Axel." Roxas gave him a look.

"So it WAS someone I know."

"What is this? An interrogation?" His brow furrowed. "I don't ask who you've slept with before, though I'm sure that's a long, disease-riddled list."

Their waitress came over with their food and both parties fell silent as she handed them their plates. Breakfast was probably one of Roxas' favorite meals. It was probably one of Axel's too, but neither boy had taken the time to genuinely get to know one another. The similarities between them would probably shock them both.

"Why can't I know?" Axel grabbed a fork and began to hack his pancakes into small pieces. "If it's not a big deal, why can't I know?"

Roxas pouted and didn't answer.

••••••••••••••

_**Because he was **__upset, he had ended up missing his bus home. He had received multiple texts from his siblings, all asking where he was, and he had ignored all of them except Naminé. He told her everything that happened, including how he now had to walk home, and he blamed every single detail on Sora. Roxas never would've missed the bus if it wasn't for Sora. Riku would be his right now too. Hell, Roxas was willing to bet his mother and father wouldn't have to work so much if Sora didn't exist._

_And if his mother didn't work so much, she could pick him up and he could tell her everything. But it wasn't happening. His mother was a successful business woman who had recently begun working late hours. She was seldom home and her sudden absence was devastating to Roxas, who was clearly in the middle of a crisis._

_It was going to rain too. He could hear the thunder overhead as he walked along the side of the road. He could see the storm clouds rolling in. The only thing worse than a thunderstorm was being stuck outside in one._

"_Hey, stalker-kid!"_

_Roxas looked over at the small, red car that had pulled up next to him. A scowl crossed his features when he noticed Axel was the driver and he turned his head the other way and proceeded to ignore the redhead._

"_Oh, come on!" he called. "Get in. I'll give you a ride."_

"_I don't need a ride." Roxas pouted._

"_Oh, okay. I guess you're walking to your invisible car. My bad."_

_Roxas turned to Axel and glared hotly at him. "Just leave me alone! I'm having a horrible day and you're just… bothering me!"_

_Axel raised a brow. "I'll leave you alone if you let me give you a ride."_

_He debated whether or not he should take the ride, but his decision was made for him when it suddenly began to rain._

"_Where do you live?" He watched Roxas as he buckled his seatbelt._

"_Whitegate."_

_Axel began to drive down the road, his windshield wipers on, and there was a momentary, but not awkward, silence between them._

"_What's your name?" Axel asked._

"_Roxas," he muttered. "How do you know where Whitegate is?"_

"_I live there too."_

"_Oh…" the blonde fell silent and he looked out the window as the rain fell in heavy, thick droplets. "Are… Are you really as bad as people say you are?"_

"_I hope not," Axel answered honestly. "A lot of it is talk."_

_Roxas frowned, "Doesn't that bother you?"_

"_No. I know what I've done and what I haven't. Besides, it's kind of cool that everyone knows my name, even if it's sometimes associated with bad things."_

_Roxas smiled a little._

"_Cute." Axel glanced at the blond. "First time I've seen you smile, which is a real shame."_

_Roxas felt his cheeks heat slightly. "Why is that a shame?"_

"_Because you look so much better when you're smiling than when you're scowling. You should really cheer up, Roxy. I bet a cute boy like you has a lot to be smiling about."_

_Blue eyes went wide and he stared at Axel, shocked and surprised and intrigued and mortified all at once. What his mother had said about his name… He hadn't realized how much he had taken it to heart until this moment._

"_What?" Axel asked. "Why are you staring at me? You gonna start stalking me too?"_

"_What did you say?" Roxas ignored his question. "My name – what did you call me?"_

"_What?" The redhead's brow furrowed. "I called you Roxy."_

"_Why?" His blue eyes were wide with confusion and he was searching for some kind of answer._

"_Because… I don't know." Axel shrugged. "Because it's cute and… and you're cute so you deserve a cute nickname."_

_Roxas looked away from Axel, befuddlement still etched on his features. He leaned back in his seat and tried, unsuccessfully, to sort out how he felt about all of this. Axel, someone he barely knew, was the one to call him Roxy. Someone who didn't even know his name until all of three or four minutes ago._

"_Is that okay?" Axel frowned. "Should I just call you Roxas?"_

"_No," he shook his head. "You can call me Roxy."_

••••••••••••••

"**Why Roxy?" Roxas **forked a piece of pancake and eyed it skeptically before eating it.

"Excuse me?" Axel had butchered his pancakes into small bits that could be easily scooped with a fork. "What are you talking about?"

"Why did you call me Roxy?" he paused. "I mean, when we first met. When you gave me a ride home. Why did you call me Roxy?"

The question came from nowhere and Axel didn't have a good answer. How their talk had gone from virginity to the blonde's nickname confused the redhead, but he wasn't sure he minded the change in subject. It was clear Roxas was hiding something about the loss of his virginity and Axel didn't want to alienate him by prodding him for an answer.

"Because it fit you," he replied simply. "You were cute and you looked so lonely and upset all the time. You were in permanent distress and Roxas made you sound so much tougher than you actually were. Roxy softened you. It turned you from 'brooding youth' to 'boy in distress.' I liked that."

Roxas wasn't sure how he felt about this answer, but he didn't have it in him to argue. Axel was, essentially, right. Roxas _was_ upset and lonely and he _was _in permanent distress. A distress that was only worsened when his mother died. After she was gone, he figured he had begun to fit the name 'Roxas' because all the softness he had once had was gone. And a simple name-change wasn't going to fix that.

"Axel?"

"Yea?"

Roxas hesitated, "Nothing. Never mind."

He was pretty sure Axel would just laugh at him if he even began to explain what his mother had told him years ago.

••••••••••••••

"_**You live in**__ the _fancy_ part of Whitehall." Axel mentioned as he pulled up into the driveway of Roxas' house._

"_The fancy part?" Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Is there any other part to Whitehall?"_

"_Yea. This neighborhood is huge. Bet your mom doesn't let you out after dark though."_

_The blond blushed because Axel was right. Roxas _wasn't_ allowed to go out after dark unless he was with someone and that someone usually had to be a trusted adult or one of his siblings. Why his mother was much more lenient when it came to Kairi, Sora, or Naminé, Roxas wasn't sure. He liked to entertain the idea that it was because she loved him the most._

"_Um, Axel?"_

"_Yea?" the redhead looked over at the blond._

"_Thanks for driving me home. I guess… I guess you're not so bad."_

"_Hell yea," Axel grinned, "People do a lot of talking for me, Roxy, and nearly none of it is true."_

_He offered a small smile to the redhead as he grasped the handle on the car door. The rain was still pouring down in heavy, thick drops and it was thundering overhead. Roxas hesitated before getting out. He knew it probably wasn't a good idea to invite Axel inside, but it was storming and the older boy had just done him a favor._

"_Do you want to come in?" Roxas asked shyly. "You don't have to, I just… It's raining."_

_Axel laughed, "Afraid of storms, Roxy?"_

_A blush crossed his pale cheeks and he didn't answer. He felt a comforting hand pat his shoulder and then he heard the redhead mutter 'I'm just playing with you. Yea, I'll stay for a bit.'_

_Roxas didn't know how to feel, but he found Axel's touch had left him feeling warm on the inside._

••••••••••••••

**Their conversation had **slowed while they were eating. Both boys were tired and they both seemed stuck for something to say. Axel was clearly afraid of stepping on Roxas' toes and Roxas wasn't sure how honest he wanted to be with the redhead. He remembered what Riku had said, when they had been at the bakery. He remembered Riku telling him that Axel would be upset if he knew about them.

Roxas knew he was going against his better judgment, but he asked anyway, "What do you think happened between Riku, Sora and me?"

Axel looked down at his half-eaten plate of pancakes and after a few moments of thought, he merely shrugged. "I don't know. I'm kind of afraid to find out what happened, so I try not to think about it. Don't get me wrong, I wanna know, but only because it's been dangling in front of me for months."

"Why afraid?" Roxas frowned and he picked up his mug.

"Because… Because I have an image of you that I don't want tarnished. In my head, you're this grumpy kid who's all hard on the outside, but soft on the inside. In my head, you're just this sad and lonely boy who needs someone to love him unconditionally. In my head, you're untouched. Never kissed, never fucked, never messed with… I guess I like thinking you're innocent. I like thinking your coldness, your rough exterior, is just a mask for all that gentle kindness on the inside." Axel shrugged his shoulders and played with his food. "I don't want to know if you _are _this mean and if you always have been…"

"Wait, so..." Roxas looked at Axel with some confusion. "You don't think I'm inherently mean?"

The redhead shook his head. "No. I think you're just… a little bit weathered. Maybe a little bit scared."

The blond turned slightly and looked out the window. The sun was rising slowly and early morning clouds hung overhead. A trunk rolled into the diner parking lot and Roxas was mildly surprised when he found himself disappointed that his semi-solitude with Axel was going to be interrupted by a tired, hungry truck driver.

"Why do you think I'm scared?" Roxas didn't look at Axel when he asked the question.

"Are you?" the redhead raised a brow, his jade eyes locked onto his duplex-mate's small form.

"Maybe…" he mumbled unsurely. "Maybe I'm not scared, I'm just…" he hesitated. The sudden pressure he felt in his chest, the lump in his throat, the stinging behind his eyes… These symptoms distressed him and he suddenly wished he wasn't with Axel, he wished he wasn't in this diner, and he wished he was alone, in his bed, where he was safe from the world.

"Roxy?" Axel looked concerned.

"Alone. I'm just alone."

Wide, frightened blue eyes met calm, soothing jade ones. Axel slipped from his side of the booth and went to sit next to Roxas. An arm went around the blonde's waist and the redhead yanked him impossibly close. His other hand came to rest in the mess of his duplex-mate's blond hair and he held the other in a tight embrace.

Roxas had his face buried against Axel's chest and he gripped the older boy much more tightly than he meant to. He was afraid to let go though. He was afraid Axel would just up and disappear.

••••••••••••••

"_**I don't think **__my parents are home." Roxas and Axel had gotten soaked from their short walk from the driveway to the blonde's front door. "My siblings are, though." He put his key in the lock and let himself and Axel inside. The redhead watched as Roxas suddenly began to remove his shoes and his shirt. An eyebrow was raised and the younger boy blushed when he caught Axel's eye._

"_I'm wet," he mumbled._

"_Me too." Axel stripped his own shirt and kicked off his shoes. Roxas had to keep his eyes on the floor to avoid staring at the other's body. Well, that much was true. Axel _did_ have a really nice body._

"_Uh… there are towels in the laundry room," he stated awkwardly. He looked everywhere except at Axel and the harder he tried to avert his eyes, the bigger the redhead's smile became._

"_You're cute, Roxy." He followed the blond as he walked from the foyer to the living room and into the kitchen._

"_No." The blond shook his head and walked into a small room where a washer and dryer sat. "Just nervous." He pawed through a laundry basket briefly before grabbing two clean, white towels from the mess. Roxas passed one to Axel and the older boy immediately began to dry his long, red hair._

"_I make you nervous?" he smirked._

_Roxas shrugged and wiped down his arms and chest. "A little. I don't really get hit on a lot."_

_Axel laughed and then stifled it when he noticed the other boy blush. "Oh, hey…" he stepped closer to Roxas and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I'm not making fun of you."_

_He passed the redhead a slight look._

"_Okay, you're obviously not as naïve as people say." Axel admitted, "However, I will say I'm not laughing _at_ you."_

"_You're laughing with me?" he smiled slightly. "I'm not laughing, Axel."_

"_But you're smiling. And that's a start."_

_Roxas felt the smile on his features grow and their eyes locked. Axel was considerably taller than the blond and he did not notice this until he noticed that they were leaning in to kiss each other. _

_Their lips were close. Axel was radiating heat like a fire and this only caused a spike in the younger boy's embarrassment. He felt the other's hand move from his shoulder to his cheek and he felt a soft, gentle thumb caress his plump bottom lip. It was a new feeling, a new sensation, and it left Roxas feeling like a bundle of nerves._

"_Roxas?"_

_He could've sworn he heard Axel mutter 'damn it' under his breath when both boys backed away from one another. Sora's voice had interrupted their moment and Roxas didn't take his sudden appearance in the kitchen too kindly._

"_Aren't you supposed to be with Riku?" he snapped. He began to towel-dry his hair and did not appreciate the way Sora looked accusingly from Roxas to Axel and back again._

"_Uh… Why are you guys half-dressed?"_

"_We got wet." Axel shrugged and placed his towel over his shoulders._

"_Right." Sora's eyes narrowed somewhat and he opened his mouth to say more, but Riku came up behind him and snaked his arms around the brunet's waist. A kiss was placed to his cheek and a smile crossed Sora's features._

_Roxas couldn't help his look of infuriation. A look that seemed to go largely unnoticed._

"_Wow. You guys having fun?" Riku's eyes narrowed. He was attempting to look impassive, but his eyes were giving him away. "Didn't think you were the type to give it away so easily, Roxas."_

"_We got rained on," he growled. "And we're just friends."_

"_Pft. No one is _just friends _with Axel." Riku held back a dirty look._

"_Wow, you know," Axel sighed, "it's funny. It's like you guys don't know I'm standing right here or something."_

"_Some of us can keep our hands to ourselves." Roxas glared hotly at Riku. He wasn't bothering to hide the fact that he was hurt and upset. He didn't care if he caused problems for Riku and Sora. Sora deserved to be hurt. He _stole_ Riku away from Roxas._

"_I can't help it if your brother is cute." He pressed a kiss to Sora's cheek and relished in the heat that burned in the blonde's pale cheeks._

_Roxas opened his mouth to respond, but Kairi's voice calling from the stairway in the foyer cut him off. "Sora! Dad's on the phone! He wants to talk to you!"_

_The brunet slipped from his boyfriend's arms and was glad to have a reason to leave the strained, awkward situation. Riku and Roxas stood facing each other, eyes locked in heated stares. Axel pretended to be interested in the magnets that were stuck haphazardly on the door of the fridge. His towel was still draped around his neck and he tried not to notice the tension._

"_Why?" Roxas asked. "Why now?"_

"_I waited!" Riku's voice was extremely on-edge._

"_I was coming today!" Roxas yelled. "I was coming to see you today! I was going to tell you today! You just didn't give me enough time!"_

_His aqua eyes narrowed and he looked away, "So, what? Now you're besties with Axel?"_

"_No. He just gave me a ride home."_

"_That explains why you're half-naked. Gotta pay him back somehow."_

_Roxas' cheeks burned and Axel suddenly turned his attention to Riku. "Hey." He was considerably taller than Riku and therefore much more intimidating. "We got wet walking to the door. Don't insult him."_

"_Ooh, so now you're fighting his battles?" Riku crossed his arms and glared up at the redhead._

"_I'll fuck you up." Axel was dead serious. The smugness on Riku's face left and Roxas looked up at the older boy with wide, blue eyes. "I'm not kidding. If you say one more negative thing about him, I'll fuck you up until you're nothing but a bloodied, unrecognizable heap."_

_The silver haired boy backed down. He shrugged his shoulders and then walked out of the kitchen. He would never admit it, but he was afraid of Axel. He had good reason to be, too. Aside from his height, Riku had heard many stories about Axel and the things he did to people he didn't like. Axel was intimidating and Riku would rather have his pride mildly agitated than his face crushed in like a can._

"_Now you do kind of owe me," Axel teased. He turned to face Roxas, a smile lining his handsome features. "I just –" he was caught off-guard when the blond kissed him in the softest and sweetest way the redhead had ever felt._

••••••••••••••

"**Are you okay?" **Axel drove down the road with his windshield wipers on. A storm had come from seemingly nowhere and rain poured down in thick droplets. Roxas sat in the passenger seat with his blanket wrapped around his body and his pack of cigarettes in his right hand. He stared straight ahead. His eyes were red, his cheeks were streaked. He hadn't cried in a long time.

"Look, I'm sorry," he frowned. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It wasn't you," Roxas answered softly. He sniffled and wiped at his face and he was more than pleased when he felt Axel's warm, gentle fingers touch his cheek.

"I still feel like an asshole though."

"You can make it up to me," Roxas teased. He took the redhead's hand in his own and intertwined their fingers. He gripped the slender digits tightly and reminded himself that this was the calmest he had felt in a very long time. He should be weary of Axel, maybe even afraid of him, but Roxas was learning that while Axel's actions weren't always good, his intentions certainly were.

"Oh, really?" the redhead squeezed the blonde's hand gently. "How?"

"Sleep with me."

Axel's eyes went wide and he glanced over at a very red-faced Roxas.

"I-I meant literally. Not… having sex, but actual sleeping."

"Oh," Axel breathed a sigh. "Good."

"Good?" Roxas looked over at him with mild offense. "Why is that good?"

"Because I would hate myself if I had to reject you, Roxy."

His mild offense turned into annoyance and he opened his mouth to argue, but then he decided that Axel probably did have some good reason for _not_ wanting to have sex with him. Not yet, anyway. He didn't push the redhead for an answer which was just as well. Axel wasn't sure he could provide a satisfactory one.

••••••••••••••

"_**Mom?"**_

_She was outside in the garden when Roxas came to her. It was early morning, her first day off in almost three weeks, and she was sitting in her garden enjoying a small breakfast of toast and juice. She was wearing a very pretty white dress that was now covered in dirt and her beautiful hair fell gracefully about her shoulders._

"_Yes, Roxy?"_

_He sat next to her, in the dirt, and she offered him a piece of her toast. He took the one that looked the most burnt because he knew she wouldn't eat it. She liked her toast very barely toasted. Anything more than slightly brown was, in her head, "burned."_

"_I met him."_

"_Who?" she brushed a few strands of blond hair from his face._

"_The one – the guy who called me Roxy without provocation. It was almost immediate, Mom. I told him my name and he just… came up with it. Like it was natural."_

_She smiled at him in her charming, beautiful way before placing both her hands over one of Roxas' own. "That's wonderful! Who is he? Is he the young man Sora brought over last night?"_

_Roxas shook his head, "No. That's… That's Riku."_

_She realized she hit a nerve and she quickly backtracked. "Just as well. That boy isn't good enough for _my_ Roxy."_

_He smiled at her and then looked away, embarrassed to know that he truly was her favorite. "His name is Axel."_

"_He has a strong name," she stroked her son's cheek affectionately. "I bet he's handsome and charming and everything you'll ever need in a man."_

"_I… I like him." Roxas looked at his mother. "He reminds me of you."_

"_Of me?" she asked._

"_Yea," he smiled slightly. "He's affectionate and when he touches my face or my arms or my back, it's always soft and gentle, just like you. The way he says my name, the way he laughs and smiles… He's got a lot of your mannerisms."_

_There was a hesitation that Roxas failed to notice. There was a look that crossed her features that Roxas did not see. It took her a moment to resume her affectionate touches and she was hesitant to say 'that's good, Roxy. I want you to be happy.'_

••••••••••••••

**The drive back **to the duplex didn't seem to take as long as the drive to the diner. The rain had not let up since their departure and when Axel pulled into the driveway of the duplex, he sighed softly. He didn't like rain. He didn't like getting wet because it left him feeling cold and messy. He much preferred dry, dry heat.

"Leave your blanket," Axel suggested. "You're just going to get it wet on the way inside."

Roxas sighed, "Yea. I'll pull one from the hall closet before we sleep."

They both exchanged a look and then opened the door to Roxas' car. They stepped out and hurried to the front door. Axel searched his pockets for his key, but the blond grabbed the door handle and turned it. They hadn't locked the duplex when they left.

They both walked inside and Axel sighed when he realized that he was soaked. His shirt clung to his body, his hair was a wet mess, and his pants gripped his legs in a way he did not find comforting. Roxas seemed to be in the same position, but fairing it a little better.

"Shower?"

"You want to shower with me, but you don't want to sleep with me?" Roxas looked up at Axel with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

He thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "Yea," he answered, "maybe I just want to know you first. Maybe I care about you. Maybe I just wanna see what you look like when you're naked."

The blond shrugged and then proceeded to his bedroom with Axel on his heels.

••••••••••••••

"_**When will I **__get to meet Axel?"_

_Roxas was lying on her bed when she asked the question. His father was at work and his mother was putting make-up on in the bathroom mirror. Her white dress, the one she had been wearing that morning, sat in a pile on the floor. She was wrapped in a towel and her beautiful hair was wet from her recent shower._

"_I'm not sure."_

"_Are you dating?" she asked._

"_No." Roxas sat up on the bed and looked over at her. "We kissed, but… just once. We're just friends, maybe."_

"_But he touches you?" She put eye drops in her eyes and tilted her head back._

"_Well, yea, but just friendly touches. Sometimes he'll touch my face or play with my hands, but we haven't really talked about the possibly of dating."_

"_It's good to take things slow," she said as she blinked her eyes. "Your brother, Sora, he's going to end up hurt. He's going to get so tangled up in that boy he's with, he'll end up heartbroken. First relationships always fail."_

_Roxas his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He wanted to tell her about how Riku would come up and kiss him and compliment him when Sora wasn't around. He wanted to tell her about how when Sora and Riku started dating, and Axel threatened Riku, Riku stopped seeking Roxas out. He missed the other boy's attention. Axel seemed interested in Roxas, but in the same way a cat seems interested in a new toy. It becomes old news rather quickly._

"_What?" she leaned against the countertop and looked at her son. "What's wrong?"_

"_I… I still like Sora's boyfriend."_

"_Well of course," she smiled warmly at him and Roxas immediately felt better. "That's natural, Roxy. He's a good looking boy. You know what I think?"_

"_Huh?" He slipped off the bed and walked over to her._

"_I think you should go for what you want. If you want Riku, then go for him. If you think Axel is the one, don't make him your first boyfriend. Relationships are hard and you'll have a better, happier, and longer relationship with Axel if you don't date him first."_

"_But…" Roxas frowned. He didn't like hearing this. His mother was telling him to steal his brother's boyfriend so later on he could have a happy, healthy relationship with Axel._

"_Roxy," she turned to him and touched his cheek tenderly. "Would I ever lead you wrong? If you go for Riku, you'll be doing Sora a favor too. He and Riku will fail regardless. If you bring that to a quick end, you'll save Sora a lot of suffering. Your mother knows what's best. She would never do anything to hurt any of her children."_

_Roxas nodded, reassured by her words. It was true – she never _would_ lead him wrong. She wanted what was best for him. She wanted what was best for all of them… Didn't she?_

••••••••••••••

**Axel pulled his **shirt over his head and tossed it to the bathroom floor. He struggled to remove his wet jeans and then felt somewhat embarrassed when he saw Roxas smiling at him. The shower was running and steam from the water was already beginning to fill the room. The blonde removed his shirt from his body and hesitated before undoing his pants.

"Hey," Axel, still in his boxer shorts, pressed a soft kiss to Roxas' forehead. "You don't have to be nervous. I'm not going to sleep with you. I won't even touch you if you're against it."

These words reassured Roxas and he slowly worked his jeans from his body. He dropped them into a heap on the floor and felt the color in his face rise when Axel unceremoniously removed his own boxers from his body.

"No jokes about it." He warned with his back turned to Roxas.

"Your… your dick?" the blonde tried to bite back his smile. "Why? What's wrong with it? Is it curved?"

"What? No! I mean my… hair color." Axel blushed. "Shut the fuck up. Is it curved…" he shook his head. "My dick is perfect."

Roxas was grinning. "Then turn around. Let me see."

"I will, once you promise me you won't joke about my red hair."

"Ugh," he groaned, "can I still call you Firecrotch?"

"Yes." Axel nodded, "But no other references or jokes."

"Okay, okay. I promise." Roxas rolled his eyes. "Now turn."

"Take your boxers off first."

The blond sighed in an overly dramatic manner. "I already promised I wouldn't make jokes about your volcano crotch."

Axel glared.

"Oh, sorry." Roxas smiled. "I guess that one just kind of slipped."

"Boxers. Off. Now."

"Fine."

Hesitantly, Roxas slipped his boxers down his legs. He hadn't gotten naked in front of anyone in a very long time. He was pretty certain the last time he _had_ gotten naked in front of anyone was when he and Riku had played around and that had been quite a few years ago.

"You're blond."

"Yea, and my head is up here." Roxas was blushing a great deal.

"No, you've got a head down there too." Axel teased. He turned and walked over to Roxas and gently grasped his wrist. He yanked the smaller boy into the shower with him and allowed the hot water to wash over their wet, cold bodies.

"How come you trust me now?" Axel ran his fingers through Roxas' wet mess of blond hair.

"Because this is your second chance to sleep with me and you're not even attempting to get me in the sack."

"I wasn't joking when I said I only sleep with boys I don't want to keep around." He brushed the hair back from the other's face and then gently stroked his cheek with his thumb. "I don't want to damage you anymore."

"Anymore?" Roxas looked up at Axel. His own hands had snaked their way around the older boy's waist and he was gently raking his fingers down his smooth back.

"Yea. You're damaged goods. I don't want to further the damage."

Roxas didn't know if he should be insulted or happy. "Uh… thanks?" He raised his eyebrows at Axel.

"You're welcome," he replied simply.

Shampoo was grabbed from a wire rack that hung around the neck of the shower head. Axel gently nudged Roxas out from under the water and then opened the shampoo bottle. He squeezed a small amount into his palm and then began to leather up his duplex-mate's blond locks of hair.

"I can do it myself…" he mumbled half-heartedly. Axel's hands felt nice and he appreciated the feeling of being cleansed.

"Why do it yourself when I can do it for you?" He scratched along the younger boy's scalp, working the shampoo into a nice lather before yanking the other back into the stream of warm water. Fingers worked through his hair to ensure all the shampoo was rinsed out and Roxas merely enjoyed the sensation of not having to do something for himself.

••••••••••••••

_**It was right **__before Thanksgiving break when he decided to make a move on Riku. He had heavily debated with himself over whether or not this was the right thing to do, but in the end he had reasoned that his mother was only looking out for his and his siblings' best interests. Riku and Sora were destined to fail so he should help make it fail faster. It was his moral obligation to help his brother escape a _very _painful break-up._

_He had texted Riku that morning with an ominous 'we need to talk' message and then had refused to say much else throughout the day. They planned to meet outside on the football field behind the bleachers after the last bell rang and after all his siblings boarded the school bus to go home._

_He made up a lie when his siblings asked him why he wasn't riding the bus. At this point, not even Naminé could be trusted. She often questioned the advice of her mother and Roxas didn't want to argue with his sister over whether or not their mother was correct. The buses were pulling out of the parking lot by the time Roxas got to the football field. The weather was frigid and Riku was already standing there with his winter coat on and his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a scarf and he looked more handsome than usual._

"_Hey," Riku said as soon as Roxas was within earshot. "What did yo—"_

_The blond was on top of him before he could react. Their lips were touching, Roxas' arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, and he couldn't help but feel his stomach flip-flop when Roxas' tongue pressed against his lips._

"_Mm…" he grasped the other's shoulders and pushed him off. "What are you doing?" Riku's cheeks were red and the younger boy wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from their kiss._

"_I want you." Roxas kissed Riku again and was momentarily hurt when Riku pushed him away. _

"_What happened to your new friend Axel?" His tongue flicked out to lick at his lips. The hint of jealousy that crossed his features caused a small smile to curve Roxas' lips upward. The fact that Riku had asked about Axel and _not_ about Sora made him smile even more._

"_He's not you," Roxas answered, "and I want you."_

_There was a hesitation in Riku's movements. He was confused by Roxas' sudden abandonment of Axel and why now, all of a sudden, he and the blond were on good terms again. They last time they had spoken had been the day Axel had threatened him. Riku would never admit it, but he stopped seeking Roxas out because he was afraid of the possibility of having to fight with Axel. It wouldn't look good to Sora if Riku was fighting with some guy over his twin brother._

"_What about Sora?"_

_Roxas looked away from the taller boy and he shrugged his shoulders. "What about him?"_

"_Wait, let me get this straight…" Riku looked at the blond and his usual, charming smirk was slowly taking over his features. "You wanted me to go out with Sora so he wouldn't be hurt, then you're mad when I start dating him over you, and now you want me to cheat on him?" He knew he shouldn't be amused, but he was._

"_It's complicated," Roxas frowned and played with the edge of Riku's scarf. He didn't want to begin to explain that it was his mother encouraging him to act in this manner. He didn't want Riku to know for fear that Riku would tell Sora or that, maybe in the future, Sora would find out that it was their mother who encouraged Roxas to purposefully wreck his relationship._

"_Complicated?" Riku cupped the shorter boy's chin, "Like us?" He placed a firm, brief kiss to Roxas' mouth. _

"_Y-yea…" his cheeks were red from a combination of the cold and the blood that had just rushed to his face. "Like us."_

_Roxas closed the gap between them in a long kiss. This was the right thing to do._

••••••••••••••

"**How many people **have you slept with?" Roxas was lying in his bed, on his stomach, in only a pair of boxers. Axel was lying next to him, but on his back, and he was staring up at the ceiling. He had thrown on a pair of pajama pants but only because he generally didn't wear _anything_ when he slept. Especially not underwear.

"Not a lot."

"Are you lying?" Roxas propped himself up on his elbows and looked over at Axel. "Are you just saying that because you think I'll be upset if you've slept with a lot of other people?"

"No," the redhead answered honestly. "I could lie, but I haven't slept with that many people so there isn't really a reason to."

Blond eyebrows furrowed and he frowned somewhat. "So… How many?"

"Six? Seven, maybe?" he looked over at Roxas. "No more than ten."

"You don't know?" He hadn't meant to sound so critical, so he quickly added, "I mean, you know, you just don't sound very sure."

A small smile curved Axel's lips upward and he reached over and brushed a bit of wet, blond hair from his duplex-mate's face. "I used to party way more than I should have."

Roxas opened his mouth to critique the redhead's lifestyle, but then decided against it. He looked downward at his hands and mumbled, "So, who all have you slept with?"

"I don't kiss and tell." Axel was smiling in a way that made Roxas want to strike him.

"Bullshit," the blond rolled over onto his back and was practically lying on top of the redhead. "You can't have casual sex and then _not_ talk about it."

"Who are you asking about specifically?" Axel wrapped an arm around the younger boy and pulled him closer. In response, Roxas laid his face on his duplex-mate's chest.

"Okay… Have you slept with anyone I know?"

"You mean Demyx?"

"No," Roxas said a little too nonchalantly.

Axel smiled and shook his head, "Yea, okay."

"Fine. I want to know if you've slept with Demyx. Sue me." He rolled his eyes, but didn't move from the redhead's chest.

"Yea. I have."

"Ew."

Annoyed with the answer, the blond moved away from Axel and opted to lie on the other side of the bed. He turned on his side with his back to the other, and he wasn't exactly sure how to feel when Axel didn't immediately roll over and spoon with him or try and be sweet with him. He didn't know if this was good or bad and it only made him feel worse.

"Why do you ask questions you know you're not going to like the answer to?" Axel sighed.

"Because I want to know. I can't go through my whole entire life afraid to ask questions and afraid of what the answers might be."

"I slept with Riku, too. But those are the only two people you know that I've done it with," he mumbled before sliding from the blonde's bed and making his way over to the door. It was probably a bad idea to tell Roxas he had had sex with Riku, but Axel didn't want to lie. Not to Roxas, anyway.

"Hey," the blond called, "where are you going?" He sat up and walked over to where Axel was standing. The redhead had grasped the door handle and had been about to make his somewhat subtle disappearance, but Roxas' sudden interest in him stopped him.

"Aren't you going to kick me out?"

"I was, but now I don't want to be predictable," he replied somewhat jokingly. "Why Riku?" He reached out and touched Axel's arm affectionately.

"Because I was drunk and he was sad." He shrugged, "It was right before we went off to college. Like… the summer of our senior year, I think. I don't really remember."

Roxas turned his attention to the floor and he made a mental note to ask Riku about this later. Surely there was more to that story than what Axel could remember. Riku was not one to just sleep around (he had always been fairly selective) and his decision to sleep with Axel probably had some bearing in something else.

"So you're more upset I slept with Demyx?" He seemed fairly amused by this and he felt relieved when Roxas pulled him back over to the bed. "You don't care that I slept with Riku?"

"I like Riku." He sat on the edge of the bed and smiled somewhat when Axel leaned down and touched their foreheads together. His hands came to rest on Roxas' hips and Roxas reciprocated by wrapping his arms around Axel's neck.

"I thought Demyx was your friend."

"He was, but then he started dating this _really_ obnoxious redhead…"

Axel smiled, "Sounds like you're jealous that Demyx has such a hot piece of arm candy."

"Hey." Roxas tangled his fingers in the other's mess of red hair. "His arm candy is with _me_ right now. I don't have to be jealous."

"Yea. I think Demyx should really be jealous of you." Axel placed a brief kiss to the other's lips.

"Why?" Roxas asked softly.

"Because you make a _way_ cuter blond."

He smiled and found he couldn't argue. Axel was right and, besides, it would've been too hard to argue with the redhead's tongue in his mouth.

••••••••••••••

"**Should I just **assume my phone is gone forever?" Riku ran his fingers through Sora's hair. The brunet was above him, lining his chest and stomach with hot, wet kisses and teasing him to the point where it was almost painful.

"I would." Sora kissed along Riku's happy trail. His fingers clutched at the edge of the blanket and he refused to go any farther down than his boyfriend's hips.

"This is torture."

"Not having a phone?" he asked before allowing his tongue to dart out and gently lap at the other's belly-button.

Riku caught his lower lip with his teeth and he gently yanked at Sora's brown locks of hair. "No. You teasing me like this. I forgot how much you liked to play."

"I commit in the end." He pulled the edge of the blanket down another half-inch. "Eventually I'll get down there…" he slipped his hand beneath the blanket and grasped Riku's erection gently, causing the older boy to tense slightly. Sora slid his hand up and down the other's length in slow, rhythmic motions. "You'll appreciate it more if I get you really worked up beforehand."

"Yea, or I'll just be really rough with you and force you down there before you're ready."

Sora felt a small smile pull at the corners of his lips. "Maybe I'm asking for it."

And Riku smiled because he knew Sora was.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter is around 10,000 words. It has taken me TWO MONTHS to get this thing out and this delay has been significantly long and awful. That's the bad news. The good news is that there's only a month left in school before Christmas break and no school means I'm going to be writing my heart out. Thanksgiving break is also coming up which, hopefully, means a new chapter will make an appearance sometime in the beginning of December (but no later than mid-Dec because by then I'll be on Christmas vacation).  
I know this is late. I tried to make it a little longer because it's so late. I appreciate everyone being patient and I appreciate all the faithful readers and reviewers who came back. I changed a few things in this chapter (I always end up rewriting chapters two or three times) and I've decided to split up the whole R x R x S love-triangle thing. I realized I wanted to do more with it than I originally had planned and I can't stuff it all into one chapter.  
ANYWAY – added in some Roxas x Axel fluff and Sora and Riku got to make an appearance at the end of the chapter. Hooray!

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Vithian: **Thank you. I don't mind the KH high school stories if they aren't one dimensional. The problem with those stories, however, is the fact that they've been done over and over again and there's no originality. I'm glad you prefer my seemingly tough-as-nails Roxas. And this update was exceptionally slow. I hope this doesn't happen again.

**TopHatGlow: **I added that in there because I'm trying to show the similarities between Axel and Roxas' mom without making Axel seem creepy and without making Roxas seem like he wants to bang his mom. Er, yikes.  
Along with being the most hardcore, those kids would also be the most fucked up. They'd have no legs or arms. Or teeth. Another yikes.

**Loves Ironic Tragedy: **Thank you, C. The job is awesome, but I can no longer eat at a Taco Bell without thinking about disposal day (for whatever reason, autoclaved agar and bacteria smells like the inside of a Taco Bell. Very disgusting). I can't do creative. It's not really my thing. And besides, artsy, post-modern kids annoy me.  
Yea, I guess I never thought about it like that. I never guessed people might see Roxas' actions as slutty over just selfishness. I mean, okay, yea, it IS kind of slutty, but he didn't do it for a feeling of self-worth. He did it because he was A: listening to his mother's advice, and B: he genuinely liked Riku a lot.  
Eventually Demyx will find out about Axel and Roxas (their "engagement," Axel's inability to keep his hands to himself, etc) and then things will slowly start to go downhill from there. It's going to be a bumpy fucking ride.  
Oh yea – speaking of one-shots… I'm going to be writing another one as soon as I have the time. It's probably going to be Roxas x Axel-centric, but I'm pretty excited about it.

**Muffin: **I have the same problem with the little boxes glitching out when I type, too. It's incredibly aggravating and I salute you for writing that long of a review.  
I like the friendship between Axel and Naminé because it can be easily manipulated. It also doesn't make Axel look like such an outsider in the Badcock clan. I also enjoy the conflict between Axel and Officer Leonhart because that's totally going to play a future role in the story. Same with Zemyx's kidnapping. All of that will come together toward the end in a horrific explosion of fire and flames (er, no one dies). The next chapter will probably be somewhat more humorous. I still haven't completely decided if it's going to be a chapter like this one or if it's going to be a little bit different.

**Aindel S. Druida: **All of your statements are true. Leon does need to get laid, Axel does need to dump Demyx, and Roxas needs some therapy (or a good romping in the bedroom. Almost the same thing). I really need to start reusing you as my beta. However, my updates are so late that I feel bad for waiting any longer to post them. You're a good beta and I really need to utilize you more.

**Chelsey Adams: **Wow, thank you. That means a lot to me! There's a TON of KH stories out there. I'm really glad you like this one so much.

**Usuilove21: **I really appreciate you saying that! There are so many stories out there (you would know if you've read over 800!) and it feels really nice to know that you like this one so much. It makes me feel good about my writing (and even better about my English). I'm picky, too. That's why these chapters get rewritten over and over and over again until I'm satisfied with the reread.

**Superkawaiifreak: **Hahaha. Thanks. I'm trying to make Roxas a little more dynamic. I want readers to feel badly for him, but I don't want to turn him into this poor kid whose life has been ruined because his mother died. I want there to be a balance between "aw, poor Rox" and "wow, what an asshole."  
Believe me, it's not easy writing this much. I tend to do it all in one sitting too.

**sana-chan9: **Thanks. Some of this story is planned, but portions of it just come into my head as I'm writing (sometimes it causes plot problems which is very annoying). I actually had to draw out a timeline a few weeks ago because I really couldn't keep track of everything. Now I just add to it as stuff comes into my head.  
Hahaha… Slickwoody and Cornhole… I laugh my ass off whenever I think about it.

**misunderstood mysterious 1: **Yea, Axel does seem to get blamed a LOT for stuff that isn't his fault. I guess it's the obnoxious behavior. You almost kind of want to punish him for being irritating.

**RennyWasHere: **Well, it was Labor Day Weekend (wasn't it?)! I figured a lot of people would actually be gone, but hey – at least there was something to look forward to when you got back.  
I actually just discovered "that's what she said." I had kind of heard people say it before, but I never really understood it. There seems to be no Russian equivalent (damn!) but I've thoroughly annoyed my roommate by muttering "that's what she said" whenever he says something.

**Loveless Heart: **You're sweet. I think I have a few stalkers, but not many of them will actually take time to write a review. I really appreciate it when people review though. Writing reviews is awful (or, well, I think so) so I'm always thrilled when someone makes the effort to tell me they like what I'm writing. Thank you for reading.

**animearlinefreak: **I always figure if someone takes the time to review my story, I can take the time to write a little something back. I don't know how much of Roxas' obsession with Riku is 'love.' I think it's more just a… possession thing? But I haven't completely worked that all out yet.  
Yea, Axel hasn't written a fable in a while. I'm sure they'll make an appearance in the next chapter. He will most definitely be writing one about Sora/Riku/Roxas whenever he finds out about them. A lot of Axel's fables are going to start being stories from his life (the pool incident, Officer Leonhart, etc.) which will eventually tie into the end of the story.

**Demexiffie: **Yes! The sixth chapter is here and the seventh chapter will be out soon! I'm expecting this story to be finished by the end of the summer (2011). I'm going to try and edit it into less than twenty chapters.

**Daydreamishly: **Well played, dear reader.  
That's going to come up within the next few chapters, I hope.

**Axel's-Wife: **Thanks! I hate rushed stories and writing with only one plot is extremely difficult. It's good for one-shots, but when it comes to chapter stories the story can get really boring if it's one-dimensional. Plus, a multi-plot makes for an excellent drama.

**Bazil-kun: **Thank you. I'm glad you're the second person to comment on the pace of the story. I'm always afraid I'm moving way too slow.


	7. He Finds a Letter and Falls in Love

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **AAAAAH! THIS IS SO LATE!  
Please don't castrate me. Please don't crucify me. Please direct your attention downward and enjoy the excruciatingly painful 10,000 word chapter.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

VII – He Finds a Letter and Falls in Love

_**Viktor the Victorious**_

_Viktor the Victorious was successful in all his endeavors. He had conquered villages, climbed the tallest mountains, swam down to the deepest depths of the ocean, and ran around his country twice without ever stopping to rest. Viktor the Victorious was adored by all who knew of him. Statues were made in his honor, he had more money than he could ever use in a lifetime, and his dashing good looks made him popular with the ladies. But Viktor the Victorious knew his glory meant nothing when it came to Benita the Beautiful. She was hard to please, dubbed a 'wench' by the village men, and she made all the ladies jealous with her radiant beauty. Benita the Beautiful disliked Viktor the Victorious despite his great adventures and fame. Try as he might, Viktor the Victorious failed to impress her and after 689,258 attempts, he raised his arms in irate defeat. And, for once, Viktor the Victorious was _not_ victorious._

Moral: Love makes losers out of everyone.

He tapped the end of his pen against his cheek and reread his slanted writing. The tattered notebook he kept his fables in was really starting to fall apart and Axel scribbled at the top of the page 'type fables on laptop' and then he proceeded to underline it. It wasn't that he wrote a lot. He was just always thumbing through the notebook, letting other people thumb through it, and then hiding it whenever he thought Roxas was around. This was a secret still. As far as Axel knew, Roxas was under the impression their bet was just a joke.

"Or maybe…" he thought aloud. "Maybe Viktor the Victorious should be lonely…"

Axel scrawled, "_But Viktor the Victorious was lonely and all his glory and fame could never fix that. He had conquered many women before, but none of them could cure the perpetual seclusion that plagued his fragile, lonesome heart."_

The redhead frowned, "That's depressing." He thought for a few moments more before finally deciding to cross out what he had just written. _Viktor the Victorious_ made a better loser than a loner.

_Henry the Hen_

_Henry wasn't really a Hen. He just had had the misfortune of earning that nickname after the other Roosters found him with another Rooster. Henry the Hen was probably the first openly gay Rooster and he knew it was taboo to be this way. He suffered bullying, abandonment by his family, and even Fred the Farmer didn't want anything to do with him. Henry the Hen was made to feel ashamed of himself and made to feel as if he didn't belong. So, one day, Henry the Hen packed up his things and he left the farm in search of a place with a little more tolerance. He ended up being run over by an irate driver when trying to cross the road._

Moral: 'Why did the chicken cross the road' jokes are dumb and so are you for making them.

He closed his notebook and stuffed the red pen into the binding. He hoisted himself off his bed and retrieved Roxas' copy of _Aesop's Fables _from the floor. The book was heavy, falling apart, and it smelled like flowers. Honeysuckles and jasmine and rosebuds. Axel didn't have to ask to know that this was probably the scent of Roxas' mother. When he found the occasional auburn hair strand, he knew it wasn't Kairi's.

Her dead hair, her dead skin cells, her scent of sweet things. The smell of flowers reminded Axel of decay and he had a good inkling as to why. Dead woman, smell of flowers… The image of a rotting corpse resting under a thin veil of sweet-smelling flora reeked of decay. Even if it was just all in his head.

It was late, around two or three in the morning. They were on their Thanksgiving holiday and the duplex had become very quiet. The Badcock Quadruplets had taken their leave from the duplex early last Saturday. Thanksgiving was, apparently, a large family affair at the Badcocks' home and Axel and Riku, who had been hinting that they wanted to tag along, were shot down by all four siblings on four separate occasions.

Axel hadn't made the decision to stay at the duplex. It had been made for him when his mother called him from an international line to tell him they were abroad for the holiday. A sigh parted his lips and he thumbed through _Aesop's Fables_, stopping once or twice to read some of the shorter tales.

A loud rumble of thunder caused Axel to jump and fumble the book of fables. He dropped it onto the floor and swore under his breath when he saw he had knocked a few of the loose pages out. Rain suddenly began pouring down on the roof of the duplex and Axel sighed as he squatted down and began to resort the ten or fifteen pages that had fallen out. Roxas was going to kill him.

Jade eyes narrowed somewhat when he noticed that in the mess of parchment-like paper there was something white and crisp. Axel took a seat on the floor of his bedroom and eyed the white envelope that had been folded in the pages of _Aesop's Fables_. The envelope was open, as if it had been read already, and there was no name scrawled on the front. Axel knew this would definitely constitute as "snooping" but, then again, finders keepers.

He hesitated as he greedily reached inside to retrieve the letter. It occurred to him that this could be a letter from Roxas to his mom or vice versa. It occurred to him that this could even be a letter from Roxas' mother to his dad or one of his siblings. He knew this was prying, that this was a definite invasion of privacy, but he wanted to know.

Thunder rumbled loudly outside and Axel sighed as he shoved the letter back into the envelope, folded and unread. He placed the pages of the book, and the letter, back into their proper place and placed the fables on his desk.

If he wanted to know about Roxas he'd just have to learn to ask. Snooping wasn't going to win him any kind of favor with the stubborn blond.

••••••••••••••

**A grunt slipped **between his parted lips as he blindly groped for his ringing cell phone. Normally he would just ignore any calls or texts until he was awake and caffeinated, but today his phone was ringing off the hook. His fingers graced the vibrating object and he fumbled with it blindly before flipping it open and shoving it to his ear.

"Ugh… hello?" he answered groggily.

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AXEL!"

The redhead yanked the phone away from his face, though he couldn't say he was completely displeased to hear Demyx's excited voice on the other end of the line. Sometimes he forgot the two of them were dating. It was easy to forget when he was all wrapped up in Roxas.

"Mm, Happy Thanksgiving to you, too…" he grunted sleepily.

"Are you coming over?" Demyx asked. "Are you? My mom is here. I want you to meet her."

"Aw, Dem," Axel sat up in his bed and reached for the small alarm clock that sat on his desk. It was only ten in the morning and he had managed to get to sleep around five. "We've only been dating for like… a month. Isn't that kind of soon?"

"We've been dating for like three months," the blond corrected somewhat unkindly. "Let me put it this way: either you come over here or I'm coming over there and you don't _want_ me to have to come and get you, Axel."

The redhead raised a brow. "I don't know. Are you going to punish me? Will it be sexual?"

"Seen 2girls1cup?" Demyx asked testily.

"Y-yea," Axel frowned.

"It'll be like that."

"…I'll be over in an hour."

••••••••••••••

"**I wish Axel **was here," Roxas admitted to himself. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling in his bedroom. His siblings were downstairs, entertaining family that was just arriving, and helping their father in the kitchen. He had always been the cook, not their mom. Roxas supposed that was a good thing considering their Thanksgiving meal would've consisted of burned toast and cereal if their mom had been the chef.

His room was exactly how he had left it. Sora, who once shared this room with him, only left a few mementos and keepsakes. Since their mother's death the room had become packed with things that had once belonged to her. Jewelry boxes, photos, clothes, high school yearbooks, her journals and diaries from when she had been younger, some of her old stuffed animals and things their dad had given her. This room was an active memory of her.

It had freaked Sora out and he had moved his things elsewhere, but it comforted Roxas. Seeing her photos everywhere, smelling her sweet scent, finding strands of her hair… It comforted him and he knew, on some level, that it was sick. He knew, on some level, that he should be over her by now.

He slipped from his bed and walked over to a framed photo of her that sat on a shelf near his desk. Roxas picked up the frame and looked at her picture, looked at how pretty she used to be and how perfect she used to be. His fingers touched the glass and he was reminded of how far away she was. He was reminded that her memory pained him, but to forget would be even worse.

••••••••••••••

_**Everything had been **__perfect._

_After their reunion before break, Roxas and Riku had been meeting up as frequently as possible to play with each other. Riku had dubbed their times together 'the good times' and his times with Sora as 'the wifey times.' Roxas didn't protest. He was happy to be better liked than his twin. He was happy that Riku was choosing time with him over time with Sora even if it was in secret._

"_God, you're cute…" Riku mused one cold afternoon. It was right after Christmas break, the weekend before the new semester began, and Roxas and Riku were hiding out in an igloo they had built a few days back._

"_Stop." He blushed, "I'm freezing my ass off. That's not cute."_

"_It's very cute." Riku insisted, "You know, you're not as needy as your brother."_

_Roxas raised a brow, a small smile lining his features. "Thanks?"_

"_Hey, come on…" He made his way over to the entrance of the igloo and crawled out. Roxas followed behind him, wiping the snow from his pants when he stood up._

"_Where are we going?" the younger boy asked._

"_My secret spot."_

_The blond hesitated before asking, "Is that a euphemism for sex?"_

_Riku laughed, "No. I'm not that clever. Just come on." He grabbed Roxas' hand and began to drag him through the snow and Roxas couldn't have been more pleased._

••••••••••••••

"**You're lucky I'm **lonely. An afternoon with Demyx and the bastard who gave birth to him is _not_ how I want to spend my Thanksgiving." Riku looked at himself in his full-length mirror as he buttoned up his white shirt.

"Ugh, imagine how I feel." Axel was sprawled out on Riku's bed, his nice clothes rumbled and messy, and his tie crumbled in his hand. "I'd rather be spending my Thanksgiving eating a turkey in my bed. Followed by a whole pie. Preferably apple, but I'll also accept cherry."

Riku laughed and watched his reflection as he tied his tie. "You can do the same thing in Demyx's bed."

"Yea, but his mom is there and I don't know how Demy feels about food-play." Axel sat up and smiled at the horrified look on his best friend's face.

"Ugh, God, please stop talking. I can feel the throw up residing in my throat."

"Then my work here is done," Axel teased as he stood up and stretched. "Be ready to go in ten, Cheeseburger. I don't want to be late."

A rough smack was delivered to Riku's ass as Axel sauntered from the room.

••••••••••••••

"_**This is unsafe."**_

"_I promise it's not."_

_Roxas wasn't convinced. "This is a cave. It's liable to come crashing down any second."_

_Riku laughed, "It's made of rocks, not mud and clay. Come on, it's right up here."_

_There was a winding path that lead to Riku's secret spot and Roxas, who wasn't much for adventuring, found the whole ordeal somewhat unsettling. He had a finger wrapped around one of Riku's belt loops and he was following the other closely despite there being nowhere to get lost. The cave was dark and damp, but surprisingly warm despite the snowy weather._

_Roxas felt relieved when he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He felt less claustrophobic when they were able to stand fully. The inner part of the cave was a perfect circle and filled with small flowers that apparently favored the damp conditions of the cave. There was a lantern sitting near the entrance, and the ground was smooth and cool instead of sandy and wet like the winding path._

"_See? This is my secret spot." Riku gestured around the cave and then proceeded to sit on one of the rocks nearest to him._

"_How secret is it?" Roxas looked around and smiled when he saw little drawings that had been scraped onto the walls of the cave._

"_You're the first person I've showed it to." Riku watched Roxas with interest._

_The blond looked at him somewhat suspiciously. "And Sora's never been here?"_

"_Roxas…"_

"_Just curious."_

"_I'm not lying." Riku stood and walked over to the younger boy. "You're… you're different from Sora. I can lie to him and I don't feel bad, but lying to you is different."_

"_How?" he asked as he slipped his arms around Riku's neck. Warmth spread through his small frame when he felt the older boy's arms wrap around his waist tightly._

"_I don't know. I feel guilty. And I feel shitty. Really, really shitty," he admitted softly, his face buried against the blonde's neck. "You smell good. Like… sunflowers or honeysuckles."_

_Roxas smiled and nuzzled Riku. "Are… Are you a virgin?"_

"_I see how it is," Riku teased, "you find out I can't lie to you and then you start questioning me."_

_The blond shook his head. "Tell me."_

"_Yea. Are you?"_

"_Riku." Roxas rolled his eyes. "Really?"_

_He laughed and pulled away from the other slightly. "Sorry. Sometimes I forgot you're just as inexperienced as me."_

_The blond shrugged and closed the gap between them. The kisses they shared had become less and less chaste and more and more needy. The longer Riku and Sora dated, the more ferocious their affair became. Their time together had ceased to be small moments of Riku teasing Roxas. Now they were moments where Roxas nearly jumped Riku's bones whenever he saw him. The chemistry between them was almost frightening. They continually ended up in awkward positions where neither knew what to do next. Positions were nothing seemed natural and positions that seemed to require some semblance of skill._

_But now it didn't matter. Now Roxas was on the floor of the warm, damp cave and Riku was on top of him. Their kisses were needy. Their clothing was becoming a problem. What they were doing now was natural and there was no awkward fumbling. There was no question of "what next?" They were naked and they needed each other. It was cold outside and they needed to stay warm._

_And what a better way to keep warm than christening the floor of Riku's Secret Spot?_

••••••••••••••

He set the photograph of his mother down in its rightful spot. His hands slipped into his pockets and he retrieved his phone. He knew it was a bad idea before he even sent the message, but whenever he remembered his mother he generally remembered Riku.

_Do you remember your secret spot?_

Roxas hesitated before sending the message. There was a chance this could drive Riku further away from him. There was a chance Sora could find this message and know Roxas was still attracted to his boyfriend. There was a lot of risk in sending the message, but he sent it anyway. Probably because he was selfish.

"Roxas!" he heard Kairi yell from downstairs, "Shake a leg, lazy bum!"

••••••••••••••

_**They both panted **__and didn't move from their spots on the ground. Riku was still on top of Roxas and Roxas had his arms wrapped tightly around the older boy. Small, delightful kisses were pressed to the blonde's neck and shoulders and Roxas couldn't recall a time he had felt so good._

_It hurt. It had hurt a lot, but then it had felt better and now he just felt incredibly relaxed._

"_We can never tell Sora about this," Roxas stated as he raked his nails down Riku's back._

"_Mm…" he purred as he pressed more kisses to the younger boy's neck. "I'm still a virgin if he asks."_

"_Me too."_

_Both boys looked at each other, aqua into blue, and then Roxas held up his right pinky finger and wiggled it at Riku._

"_Pinkie-promise?"_

_Riku smiled and gave the blond his own pinkie. "Pinkie-promise. This is our little secret."_

••••••••••••••

**The vibration from **his pocket caused him to jump. Axel gave him a look, one that stated 'hurry the fuck up and walk, it's cold as shit out here,' but Riku merely ignored him. They were walking to Demyx's house. Riku's car had been snowed in (or iced in, rather) and the blond didn't live far enough away to justify digging it out. Both were wrapped in their winter clothes, but Axel was still shooting Riku death glares when his best friend stopped to check his phone.

"When did you get a new phone?" Axel asked, his words muffled by his scarf.

"Before break. I wanted Sora to be able to reach me."

The redhead rolled his eyes, "So what's Wifey want?"

Riku felt a smile tug the corners of his lips upward. "Nothing."

"Great. Keep walking." Axel turned his back to his friend and continued down the slippery, snowy sidewalk. Riku, however, lagged behind and quickly typed his own message back to Roxas.

_I never broke our pinkie-promise._

••••••••••••••

_**Roxas had trouble **__hiding that he and Riku had been intimate. He didn't parade it around, but the sudden exuberance that radiated from him was enough to make anyone question why he was always smiling and always in a good mood. Sora paid the least attention to it. He was just as wrapped up in Riku as his brother, but for a completely different reason._

"_He's just distant," Sora complained to Kairi. He had been confiding in her since the beginning. She had showed to be a great support system despite her usual tendency to blab secrets to anyone who would listen. "He's nice and he'll hold my hand, but it's like I'm only getting half of his attention."_

_Kairi frowned and hesitated before asking, "Do you think he's cheating?"_

_The thought had never occurred to Sora. It was clear he had trouble thinking people capable of such deceit. It was even harder for him to comprehend that the people who claimed to _care_ about him could be deceiving him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked away from Kairi. She had, evidently, hit a nerve._

"_Don't jump to conclusions," she said quickly. "I-I mean, he might just be having trouble at home or in school. It could be stress."_

_Sora didn't seem convinced. He looked toward the front of the room where their English teacher was lecturing and breathed the smallest of sighs. "How do I confront him?" he asked._

"_Just tell him how you feel," Kairi offered helpfully. "Don't accuse him. Just… Just ask him what's wrong and then tell him how you feel."_

_Roxas exchanged a look with Naminé. They were sitting behind Sora and Kairi and eavesdropping on their whispered conversation. Naminé, who had her suspicions about Riku and Roxas, didn't say anything and chose to look away from her brother. She didn't want to be in the middle. Whatever Roxas was doing, she didn't want to know._

_She didn't want to be responsible. She didn't want to be just as bad as Roxas._

••••••••••••••

"**I hate mingling," **Roxas sighed as he and Naminé rolled out two pie crusts. "Everyone walks on eggshells, you know? Everyone acts like they're afraid to talk about her around me. They act like I'm going to break down and cry or something if they mention her name."

Naminé placed her pie crust into a pie dish and began to mold it into place. "They're just trying to be sensitive. That first Thanksgiving without her was a disaster."

"Yea, but that wasn't just me. I mean, okay… I did smash a pie in Sora's face. But then he punched me in the face." Roxas mimicked his sister's actions. "It could have been worse. I could've broken a chair over his head."

Naminé gave him a look. "You smashed the end of a wine bottle and threatened to cut him with the sharpened ends if he didn't back off. That was out of control."

Roxas shrugged. "That didn't have much to do with Mom, though. That had more to do with Riku."

Naminé didn't respond. She walked over to the pantry and pulled a can of apple pie filling and a can of cherry pie filling from the top shelf. She set them down on the counter nearest to Roxas and a rare look of scorn passed her features when she saw her brother's phone light up with a text message from Riku.

_I never broke our pinkie-promise._

"Roxas!" She picked up the phone and shoved it at him. "What are you doing?"

He blushed and snatched his phone from her. "Nothing! Can't two friends have a conversation?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "Sora and Riku just got back together. You can't be friends with him yet! You can't be having private conversations like that! What if Sora finds out? You know he's going to overreact even if it's nothing!"

Roxas shoved his phone in his pocket. "Naminé, it's none of your business."

Her usual calm demeanor was replaced by a look of rage and hurt. She very rarely lost her temper and when she did, it was usually Roxas' fault. Whenever she raised her voice, whenever she cried or felt bad, it was usually because of Roxas. It was usually because he was being selfish and involving her in his plans to hurt others.

"Not my business?" she cried. "Was it not my business when you begged me not to tell Sora about you and Riku? Was it not my business when you told Sora I _knew_? Was it not my business when I told you I didn't want ANY part, but you insisted I know everything? When you insisted that I choose between you and Sora?"

Roxas didn't look at her and, instead, pretended to be extra interested in pressing his pie dough down into the pie dish. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and ignored the very hurt, very cold look Naminé threw at him.

"All I ever tried to do was help you, Roxas. All I ever wanted was for you to make the right choices!" Naminé looked close to crying. "But now you're STILL being selfish! I'm not going to help you! I'm not going to be part of your games! I'm not going to watch you wreck Sora's relationship for the second time!"

Roxas rounded on her, "Shut up!" he yelled. "Shut the fuck up, Naminé! We're just talking! I don't even care about Riku! We're just two people having a normal conversation! I'm sorry us talking has to fucking _mean _something!"

Naminé blinked back tears and hurriedly left the kitchen. She didn't stop when Kairi asked her how the pies were coming along. She didn't stop when Sora asked her what was wrong. She didn't stop until she was safe in her room and could cry by herself. She didn't like to fight and she liked it best when she could be upset in peace.

••••••••••••••

_**It wasn't until **__the end of January when Sora finally asked Riku what was going on. It was Saturday night when he finally plucked up the courage to ask. They had been hanging around the brunet's house the whole day, lounging and enjoying the bad weather, and Riku's general distractedness had tapered off somewhat. Maybe it was the lack of supervision he and Sora were under. After all, his parents and his siblings were off at some fancy family business retreat this weekend and Sora had insisted he stay home._

_He wanted to get Riku alone. Something easier said than done._

"_Can I ask you something?" Sora was snuggled against his boyfriend's chest, listening closely to the rhythmic beating of his heart._

"_Sure," Riku answered. He ran his fingers through the other's soft, brown locks of hair. His hand would occasionally dip low and he would slide his hand under Sora's shirt and feel his soft, warm skin beneath the fabric._

"_How come…. How come you're so distracted?"_

_There was a pause when the question was asked and it took Riku a moment too long to respond._

_Sora pulled away from him. "What's going on?"_

_Riku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing, I just… I don't know."_

"_Are… Are you cheating on me?" he asked quickly. "I'm not… I'm not trying to accuse you but Kairi and I were talking and I told her what was going on and then she said maybe you were cheating and I said maybe but I wasn't sure and I didn't want to accuse you and now I feel stupid for asking but you're always distracted or busy and I –"_

_Riku cut him off by kissing his lips._

"_I'm not cheating on you," he breathed gently. "You're cute when you're flustered." Their noses touched and Sora felt his cheeks heat. Riku always had a way of making him feel like the most important person in the universe. He had a way about him that made Sora feel like he was the only thing that mattered in the other boy's life._

"_I… I love you," Sora blurted stupidly._

_Riku's eyes went wide and he pulled back slightly._

_The brunet's blush deepened and he stumbled through his words, trying to find an explanation. "I don't know!" he exclaimed. "I just thought about it and I realized that if you _were_ cheating on me, I wouldn't be mad, I'd just be really hurt! And then I realized that I'm liable to take you back even if I found out you _were_ cheating! And then I realized that that must be love because that's just… Well, it's stupid! Why in the world would I take someone back who had wronged me? I'm not stupid, so I think love is just making me that way."_

_Riku blinked and opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. No one had ever told him they loved him before and meant it. No one had ever offered an explanation as to _why_ they loved him. Sora's explanation even made sense._

"_You don't have to love me back," Sora fidgeted. "In fact, maybe it's better if you don't."_

"_Why do you say that?" Riku asked._

"_Because then I can justify why I'm so clingy and why you're so distant."_

_And just like that, Riku felt the warm, awful sensation of guilt building in his stomach. He felt the heart wrenching tug to tell the truth. He felt the need to vomit up all the things he had done wrong and he felt momentarily nauseated. Sora's willingness to defend his bad behavior suddenly made Riku realize that he couldn't lie to Sora anymore than he couldn't lie to Roxas._

••••••••••••••

"**I hope you **don't mind. I brought Riku along so he wouldn't have to be alone," Axel said as he shivered on the front steps of Demyx's porch.

The blond stood at the doorway, looking mildly amused, "I'm surprised you came."

Axel rolled his eyes. "I have faith in you too, love."

Demyx grinned and stepped aside, allowing both boys inside. The house was warm and smelled like a home cooked meal. It smelled like turkey and mashed potatoes and cookies. It smelled like Axel's childhood and it gave him goosebumps.

They immediately began to strip their winter gear from their bodies. Demyx eagerly hung up their coats and scarves in the closet. Their shoes were placed neatly near the front door and once Axel had finished removing his outerwear, Demyx pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

"I really didn't think you'd come." He held Axel's hand tightly in his own.

Riku smirked. "Demyx obviously knows you better than you think."

The redhead glared and snarled, "Shut up." He turned his attention to his boyfriend, "Stop talking to Zexion. He's turning you against me."

"No, I think that's all you," the blond muttered before pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's mouth.

Axel exchanged a concerned look with Riku and Riku couldn't help but grin back. Seeing Axel in a state of perplexed misery made him smile. It was nice, for once, to see the redhead getting some kind of shit for his lack of care. Demyx, though he didn't seem particularly smart, obviously had some idea of what Axel was up to.

"Come meet my mom!" he stated excitedly as he reached out and grabbed Riku's hand too. He yanked both of them into the kitchen, happy as could be, and called out to a petite woman who was standing over the stove making something that smelled delicious.

"This is Axel," Demyx shoved the redhead toward her. "Axel, that's my Mom."

The only difference between her and Demyx was their height and haircut. She was considerably shorter, but she had nearly the same face as he did. Their hair color was the same, their eye color was the same, and when Axel looked at her, he felt somewhat uneasy. It was like looking at a female Demyx. And it was really strange.

"Uh… Pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand for her and she looked at it.

"A handshake is meant for a man." She smiled and embraced him tightly. "A hug is meant for a woman."

It was rare for parents to like Axel. It was even rarer for him to ever meet parents. He only ever met parents when he went to take someone on a date in high school. And, usually, the meetings were fairly short and ended with the kid's parents giving him distrustful looks. What did he expect, though? He had long, wild hair and tattoos on his face. He wasn't meant to be trusted.

He hugged her back unsurely. She smelled like sugar cookies and other nice, harmless things.

"And this is Riku!" Demyx shoved the other boy forward and she instantly embraced him when she released Axel.

Riku took the hug well. He liked affection and he was used to mothers loving on him. He looked trustworthy. He looked like the kind of guy anyone would want their daughter to go home with.

"Such handsome young men!" she smiled up at both of them. "Demyx is certainly lucky to have you both! Especially you, Axel." She patted the lower portion of his back. "I hope both of you are hungry. Dinner will be ready in a few hours, but please help yourself to some cookies or fudge." She gestured over toward the kitchen table which was filled with sweet, delicious-looking things.

Axel's mouth was slightly propped open. He had been expecting Demyx's mother to be somewhat crazy. Maybe a little stupid and definitely lazy. The only thing they seemed to share was their looks and maybe their sweetness. She was all smiles and all charm and Axel could definitely get used to someone like that.

"Riku, Demy tells me you work at a bakery. Would you mind making some pie crust?" she asked kindly.

"Oh, definitely," Riku smiled. "I'd love to."

And he meant it too.

••••••••••••••

"_**Roxas?"**_

_The blond sat up and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He had fallen asleep a few hours ago on Riku's bed. Ever since their meeting at the Secret Spot, nearly every moment they shared together was filled with sex. Sometimes it was understood that that's why they were meeting up and other times, it was spontaneous and exciting. Roxas had become an expert at working Riku up and Riku had just given up on trying to deny the other. It was an impossible task._

"_Hm?" He looked over at Riku, who had obviously been awake for a while, and then proceeded to cuddle next to him. They were both naked, tangled in the older boy's mess of sheets. The sun had already set and Roxas wasn't worried about getting home. He had told his mom where he would be and she seemed content enough to let him stay out past dark._

"_Can I ask you something cheesy?" he asked as he ran his fingers through the blonde's hair. Riku frowned when he noticed Roxas' hair wasn't as soft as Sora's. He kept his sigh in when he realized he had a thing for brunets, not blondes._

"_I… I guess," Roxas answered._

"_Do you love me?"_

_The blond sat up and locked eyes with Riku. He was quiet for a long time and then he let a soft sigh escape his lips._

"_I don't know," Roxas answered truthfully. "I don't think so."_

_Riku nodded, "Oh."_

"_Why?" the blond frowned, "Do you love me?"_

"_No," he said quickly. "I was just wondering."_

_They were silent and trapped in an awkward moment with one another. Roxas cleared his throat and shifted in Riku's bed. Riku looked away, down at the floor, and then glanced at the clock sitting on his dresser._

"_Are you staying here tonight?"_

"_Oh, I… I don't know. Do you want me to?" Roxas shifted uncomfortably._

"_What if… What if I did love you?" Riku asked suddenly. "Hypothetically speaking, I mean."_

"_I don't know," the blond answered. "I guess you'd… love me. Why are you asking?"_

"_I don't know, Roxas," Riku answered defensively._

_There was another awkward silence. It hung in the hair like a storm cloud threatening a pool party. It made both of them uncomfortable and it was only broken when Roxas crawled from Riku's bed and began to dress himself._

"_Where are you going?" the older boy asked._

"_Home?" Roxas frowned. "I don't know. You're freaking me out."_

_Riku sighed and looked out his window. Thoughts of Sora crossed his mind and guilt tugged at him roughly. He didn't know when it had happened, but it had happened. Roxas was no longer the naïve one being kissed in the library. Sex had made him a little careless. Things had become too comfortable. Roxas had stopped looking for something meaningful with Riku and Riku was slowly realizing that Sora was the one he needed._

••••••••••••••

"**Real nice," Kairi **growled as she took the cooked pies out of the oven and set them on a rack to cool. "You really upset her, Roxas."

"Yea, but she –"

"I don't care," Kairi snapped. She rounded on Roxas, her hands on her hips, and she looked at him with a hard, unforgiving stare. "I don't care if she threatened to jam our 30 pound turkey up your behind. You hurt her feelings."

"Yea, but –"

"No!" she yelled. "There is no "but," Roxas! Everyone around you is careful about what they say and do and everyone tries really hard not to upset or offend you, but you walk all over everyone!" Kairi sighed, "Your song and dance is getting really old," she stated coldly. "Mom is dead and gone. She's been that way for years and you need to stop taking your anger out on people who are trying to care about you."

Roxas was silent.

"I swear, Roxas, it's like you're purposefully looking to make your life harder than it needs to be. Sometimes you have to grin and bear it and take the bad news. Sometimes you have to accept things and then move on." Kairi reached out and placed a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. "These last few years have been really, really hard on everyone, especially you and Sora. But Naminé is allowed to have her moments too. She's allowed to threaten to violate you with a wine bottle every now and again."

Roxas tried to hide his smile, but Kairi caught it.

"Go apologize." She hugged Roxas. "You know she cares about you. I mean, God forbid you fall into a coma. Sora and I are all about plugging the plug while the doctor isn't looking. You might want Nami on your team or she just might end up distracting the doctor for us."

He didn't want to laugh, but he did. Kairi always had a way of making him feel better even when he didn't deserve it.

••••••••••••••

_**It was right **__near the last few days of school when it happened. When Roxas' whole entire world came crashing down on him. After he and Riku had had their strange talk about love, Roxas had been seeing less and less of the older boy. Their affair had become somewhat strained and the once playful nature of the other boy had turned into all seriousness. Roxas attempted to initiate sex, but Riku was wholly uninterested. Roxas tried to be sweet, but Riku seemed distracted._

_The sudden behavior change scared him, but he refused to let it show. He refused to let Riku know that he was afraid they were going to break the whole thing off._

_Roxas had become increasingly distant the more distant Riku was. He had stopped talking to his siblings and he had stopped talking to even his mother. She was often busy with work, away on business trips, but her absence was noticed less and less the more he focused on Riku. The prospect of a whole summer with the older boy had excited him, but now he was afraid for the school year to end._

"_Hey."_

_Roxas was sitting alone at the top of the bleachers outside when Riku approached him. It was a Friday afternoon in mid-May and the weather was nice. It was warm enough for shorts and the cold weather from winter had retreated completely._

"_Hi," Roxas replied._

_Riku took a seat next to him and stared out at the field. The track and field team was running laps and from where both boys sat, they just looked like ants._

"_We need to talk."_

"_I know."_

_Riku looked over at him. "You know?"_

"_You've been distant and distracted," Roxas sighed. "Unless it's all been a trick and you're going to tell me you're dumping Sora –"_

"_Why would I do that?" Riku asked defensively._

"_What?" he asked. "Dump Sora?"_

"_Yea."_

"_Uh, because you've been fucking around with me?" Roxas asked. "Maybe because you've been all over me? Because you lost your virginity to me and not him? You haven't even slept with him, Riku."_

"_That's because I care about him."_

_Roxas looked extremely hurt and he immediately looked in the opposite direction to hide it._

_Riku bit his lower lip. "I… Sorry. That was mean, I… I care about you. I do." He reached out and wrapped Roxas in his arms. "I just can't do this anymore."_

"_Why?" He fidgeted out of the embrace and gave the other a look._

"_I don't know," Riku sighed. "Because I…" he hesitated and then took a deep breath. "I love Sora."_

_Roxas stared at Riku for a long time. The silence that hung in the air wasn't awkward, but it was filled with tension. It was filled with resentment. This was a silence so loud Riku could've sworn it was liable to deafen him._

"_Isn't that nice," Roxas snapped as he stood up. "Well, I hope you and Sora have a great fucking time together."_

"_Come on, Rox…" Riku sighed and stood. "You don't love me. Why do you –"_

"_Go fuck yourself!" Roxas shoved him. "You're damn right I don't love you! You're a fucking cheating, backstabbing –"_

_Riku hadn't meant to hit him, but he did._

_Blood fell freely from his nose and once he regained his composure, he struck Riku back. Then they were in a fist fight and Riku had never meant for it to be this way. He hadn't meant for Roxas to take the news like this. Even worse, he had never seen Roxas lose his temper like this and Riku felt at fault for his erratic behavior. _

"_Hey, hey!"_

_They were being yanked apart by someone. They were being told to cut it out, to stop, and then they were off each other. Riku's face was scratched and he had a nice bruises forming near his eye. Roxas' nose was bleeding freely and he was sporting a nasty busted lip._

"_Jesus Christ. I've never seen two people hate each other more," Axel said as he restrained Roxas with one hand and Riku with the other. _

_Riku shoved Axel off. "I'm sorry. I really, really am."_

"_I don't care," Roxas lied. The hurt etched on his features couldn't be held in and he only felt even worse when Riku quickly made his way down the bleachers and out of sight._

_Axel sighed. "Are you okay?"_

_Roxas couldn't help himself. He sat down on the bleachers, buried his face into his arms, and he cried. He hadn't realized how much he liked Riku until Riku was gone. He hadn't realized how invested he was in Riku until Riku was giving him up for Sora._

_He hadn't realized how soothing it was to have Axel rub his back while he sobbed into his hands._

••••••••••••••

**Demyx and Axel **were going through a bunch of boxes upstairs while Riku and Demyx's mom prepared dinner downstairs. Demyx rented this house with Zexion, but Axel hadn't seen the slate-haired boy. Probably off with his family, but Zexion had never struck Axel as the type to go and play holiday with his kin. He seemed more like someone who despised the holidays because of their commercialism. That was precisely why Axel loved them.

"So…" Axel pulled a wreath out of one of the boxes and set it on the ground. "Are you mad at me?"

Demyx shrugged, "No. Why do you ask?"

"Because you were all surprised I came over. And then you told me I was turning you against me," the redhead responded. He reached down and began pulling out grocery bags that were tied at the top. Inside were a bunch of Christmas lights that had been neatly put away. Maybe Zexion was more holiday-oriented than Axel assumed. There was no way Demyx took the time to neatly put all these lights away.

"You just don't seem very serious," the blond stated honestly. "I have fun with you, but that's it."

"Fun's not everything?" Axel asked jokingly.

"I have deeper talks with Zexion and Zexion never says anything."

The redhead sighed and looked over at his boyfriend. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know," Demyx frowned and plucked imaginary dust from a strand of garland. "Commit?"

Axel laughed and then immediately stopped when he saw the look on the other's face. "You know that word sends most men running."

"Axel," Demyx sighed and dropped the strand of garland to the floor. "We've been together for like… three months. I'm not stupid. I know you're not serious about me."

The redhead wanted to debate the whole 'not stupid' thing but decided now wasn't the time. He walked over to his boyfriend and wrapped him in a tight embrace. A kiss was pressed to his cheek and he ran his hand soothingly up and down the blonde's back.

"Okay. Let's be serious."

Demyx smiled, "Really?"

"Yea, whatever." Axel shrugged and kissed the other's mouth.

"Okay. Tell me you love me."

The redhead loosened his embrace and stared at Demyx. "What?"

"Say it. Say 'I love you, Demy.'"

Axel hesitated for a second, but then he laughed, "Oh, okay. I get it. It's a joke."

The blond took a step back from Axel and folded his arms over his chest.

Axel stared. "I'm not saying that." He crossed his arms over his own chest and watched Demyx closely. "You can't just tell me to say it."

"Why not?" he frowned, "That's how it works with Zexy."

Axel felt heat rush to his cheeks and he dropped his arms to his sides. His hands balled up into fists and he hoped Zexion _was_ around so he could kick his ass. He couldn't go around telling Demyx he loved him! And how in the world could Demyx see that as even remotely okay?

"Why don't you go date him then?" Axel snapped.

The blond looked surprised. The redhead had never taken a rough tone with him, nor had he ever even really been upset. Maybe mildly put-off, but never angry.

"Are you jealous?" Demyx dropped his arms by his sides. "_Of Zexion_?"

Axel blushed and then immediately bent down and began pulling Christmas-oriented things from a nearby box. "Shut up, Demy," he mumbled. He wanted to hide his embarrassment. Maybe it was stupid to be jealous of Zexion.

"Aww," the blond cooed, "you _are_ jealous of him."

"Well," he frowned and stood up straight. "Well yea. He's always… eyeing you and dropping hints that you two should be together. And… and you're _my_ boyfriend! He can't just go around saying he loves you!"

Demyx smiled at Axel and Axel immediately dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Axel."

"What?" he grunted.

"I love you, _not_ Zexion."

••••••••••••••

"_**Well that was **__a freak show."_

_Roxas didn't say anything and merely allowed Axel to clean up the blood from his face. He was sitting on the edge of one of the sinks in the boy's bathroom and Axel, who refused to let him walk home, had insisted that he clean Roxas up and give him a ride._

"_You know, you haven't spoken to me in months."_

_Roxas hissed with pain when Axel dabbed something that wasn't water onto his cut lip. "That hurts."_

"_I don't want you to get an infection."_

"_Can you please just take me home?"_

_The redhead sighed and ran his hand through the other's blond locks of hair. "I'm your friend. You can talk to me, you know."_

"_I don't want to talk." Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. "I just want to go home."_

_He frowned and placed his hands on either side of the sink where Roxas sat. He leaned forward, his green eyes staring into wide, frightened blue ones, and he stared at the other for a long time. When did it suddenly become so complicated to be fourteen? Axel didn't recall having any kind of problems when he was that old._

_Though, Axel didn't really have problems now either. Maybe he was just lucky._

"_Why were you fighting with him?"_

_Roxas broke eye contact with Axel and stared down at the floor. "We weren't fighting. We were just having a really spirited debate."_

"_Hey." The redhead frowned and grasped Roxas' chin, gently forcing the other to look at him. "I'm not judging you. I just think maybe you'll feel better if you talk about it."_

_Roxas didn't say anything._

_Axel released his chin and sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll drop it."_

"_Thank you."_

_He shrugged and was momentarily surprised when Roxas suddenly wrapped his arms around him. They hugged each other close in a tight embrace. Axel ran his hands up and down the blonde's back and Roxas buried his face against the redhead's neck. This was exactly the kind of comfort he needed. This was something he couldn't get from his mother._

"_Can I go home with you?"_

_Axel pulled back from their embrace and raised a brow at Roxas. "Sure. It's been a long time since I had a sleepover."_

••••••••••••••

"**I'm really sorry**, Nam."

She brushed her hair down and fixed her eye make-up in the bathroom mirror. She offered Roxas a smile and then shrugged her shoulders. "It happens."

"Rain happens," Roxas said, "a cloud on a sunny day happens. Random freak-outs in the kitchen with your sister don't just happen."

Naminé laughed lightly and then turned to face her brother. "In our house they do."

Roxas frowned, "Can I tell you something?"

She nodded. She was always happy to listen to him even if there were times she wished he had never said anything to her at all. Some things were better left a secret and Naminé had had the misfortune of learning that the hard way.

"I didn't mean to involve you when… when Riku and I…"

"Oh, I know," Naminé interrupted. "I didn't really have a choice after I had walked in on you guys."

Roxas blushed. "I never meant to let Sora know you knew, either. It just… It was like word vomit."

She sighed softly and they were both silent for a few moments. She folded her hands together and watched Roxas shift uncomfortably.

"Just… Just stay away from him," Naminé mumbled. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but please, Roxas, just stay away from Riku."

His phone buzzed in his pocket and guilt washed over him.

••••••••••••••

"_**I forgot we **__live in the same neighborhood."_

_Axel pulled into his driveway and put his car in park. He hadn't been kidding when he told Roxas he lived in the fancy part of Whitehall. The un-fancy part was, apparently, where the poor people lived. The houses were much smaller and nowhere near as well taken care of. But Axel's place was quaint, something an old person might own, and it was somehow charming._

"_Do your parents live here?"_

_Axel laughed, "Why do you ask?"_

_Roxas shrugged his shoulders. "There's no car in the driveway except for yours."_

_He got out of the car and Roxas followed his lead. They walked up the front path to his house and Axel walked inside. He didn't lock his house, which Roxas thought strange, but then he supposed not everyone was as mistrustful as he tended to be. Not everyone was afraid of being robbed or killed or kidnapped._

"_Hey, Axel?" He followed the redhead closely and allowed his eyes to wander around the small house every now and then. It was pretty on the inside despite it's dumpy exterior._

"_Hm?"_

_They were in the older boy's bedroom. It was everything Roxas had expected it to be – messy, but not dirty, and it smelled, but not in a bad way. It smelled like he lit matches in his free time. It smelled like a fire that hadn't reached it's full potential yet._

"_Do you live by yourself?"_

"_No." He picked up a few of his clothes from the floor and tossed them into a nearby hamper._

"_Who do you live with?" Roxas asked curiously._

"_My parents," Axel answered simply._

"_Where are they?"_

_He tossed the blond a look. "Are we playing 20 Questions?"_

"_No," he mumbled. "I was just wondering."_

_Axel took a seat on his bed and motioned for Roxas to sit next to him. The blond obliged and he watched the older boy as he laid back, put his arms behind his head, and looked up toward the ceiling. Roxas followed his lead and smiled when he saw that a star pattern had been painted on the edges of the wall._

"_Actually," the redhead sighed, "my real mom lives in California. I was adopted when I was three."_

_Roxas looked over at him. "Really?"_

"_Yep."_

"_Why did your mom give you up?"_

_Axel shrugged. "I don't know. It never occurred to me to ask."_

_Roxas sat up and looked at Axel indignantly. "It never occurred to you to ask?"_

"_Not really. I like my adoptive parents. I'm happy here, so there's no real reason to go asking around about my real mom." The redhead propped himself up on his elbows and he looked up at Roxas. "Okay, your turn. You tell me something about you now."_

_He frowned and looked down at his feet and down at the floor. A sigh passed through his nose and he laid back on the bed, next to Axel, and thought of something interesting he could say about himself._

"_I'm gay."_

_Axel laughed, "You don't say?"_

_Roxas looked over at him, eyebrows raised. "Shocking, huh?"_

_The redhead rolled his eyes and placed a swift kiss on the other's cheek. "Yea. I had no idea," he teased._

••••••••••••••

**Dinner had been **disposed of, dessert had been eaten, and Demyx's mother (who Axel discovered was very flirtatious with enough wine) had made her way to bed when Axel nearly jumped his boyfriend's bones. Riku had left shortly after Demyx's mother turned in. She had stuffed his hands full with leftovers and reiterated how glad she was to have met him. Axel, who had decided to spend the night with Demyx, had his ass smacked by Demyx's mom and told that she wanted to get to know him even better.

"Easy," the blond squeaked when Axel roughly tossed him onto his bed.

"Easiness is for virgins," he said as he climbed on top of the other, "and whores."

He lined Demyx's neck with warm, soft kisses and slipped his hands underneath the other's shirt. They had been relatively good about keeping their hands off each other all throughout the evening, but now was different. Now Axel really, really wanted Demyx.

"Mm, not that I mind, but…" a soft moan left his lips when Axel nibbled a particularly sensitive spot along his neck. "W-why so needy?"

"I guess I like knowing I'm loved," the redhead answered simply.

"And you're not bothered that you don't love me back?" Demyx placed a hand on his boyfriend's chest and gave him a slight push off.

"You're harshing my mellow," Axel whined.

"Have you ever loved someone?" the blond asked curiously. "I mean… Aside from loving your mom and dad, have you ever really loved someone?"

His curiosity reminded Axel of Roxas and it was only now that the redhead realized Demyx looked a lot like Roxas. With his blond hair, his blue eyes, his perfect teeth, and soft, plump lips…

"Axel?"

The redhead shook his head, "Um, I don't know. How do you know if it's love?"

Demyx thought about this for a moment, "You'd do anything for that person even if they don't deserve it."

Axel breathed a sigh through his nose and reached up to run a hand nervously through his hair. Was that love? Doing shit for someone who didn't deserve it? Or was that what Zexion had told Demyx love was? He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his boyfriend's bedspread.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone buzzed nosily in his pocket. A groan parted his lips and Demyx laid back on his bed, a sigh escaping his small, exhausted frame.

Axel opened his phone and smiled gently to himself when he saw the text message.

"I have to go." He shoved his phone in his pocket and slipped from Demyx's bed.

"What?" The blond sat up and frowned. "Why? What's going on?"

"It's Riku. Dumbshit locked himself out." Axel shook his head and sighed.

Demyx's frown increased and he grabbed his boyfriend's tie, brought him close, and placed a firm kiss on his lips. "Okay. But this means you owe me."

"I know," the redhead smiled, "I owe you big time."

After he had on his coat, his scarf, mittens and shoes, Axel offered his boyfriend one last kiss before making his way out of the other's house. He was only a half block away when he retrieved his phone from his pocket and reread the text message. He knew he was going to go to Hell for lying, but he couldn't help it. It was rare for Roxas to text him. He reread the message and felt butterflies in his stomach.

_Please come home._

Maybe Demyx was right. Maybe love _was_ doing shit for someone who didn't deserve it.

Maybe Axel was in love.

••••••••••••••

**His coat, his **shoes, scarf, and mittens were all quickly removed when he finally got to the duplex. The weather outside was awful and his cheeks and nose had turned a little pink from the cold. The two-story house was just as quiet as it had been since the beginning of break and Axel frowned somewhat.

"Hey."

The redhead looked up and there, at the top of the stairs, stood Roxas. He was in his sleep pants and he was wearing one of Axel's shirts. He looked exhausted, but amused, and Axel made his way up the steps in a way that showed his eagerness and excitement.

"When did you get back?" He squeezed Roxas to him as if his life depended on it. "Fuck, I missed you…"

He was hugging Axel back just as tightly and he hadn't realized how much he had missed the obnoxious redhead until this moment.

"An hour or two ago? I got your text message and I…"

Axel pulled back from their embrace, "Huh?"

Roxas pulled his phone from the pocket of his sleep pants and found the text message he had received when he had been apologizing to Naminé.

"See?" Roxas showed him the message and Axel looked at it.

_Hahahaha. Demyx's mom is a flirtatious drunk._

"Uh, yea, but…" the redhead looked at his roommate. "What in the world does that have to do with you coming back?"

Roxas blushed. "I don't know."

They stood there in silence. Roxas slipped his phone back into his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked away and was surprised when Axel grabbed him and squeezed him tightly.

"You missed me," Axel stated as he buried his face in the other's hair. "Oh man, you _missed _me."

"Shut up." Roxas blushed and tried to struggle free from the embrace.

"What did you miss about me the most?" Axel held Roxas tightly. "My smile? My general good humor? My body? My delightful kisses? Maybe it was my teasing."

"Yea," the blond replied, "who wouldn't miss that good old emotional abuse?"

The redhead pressed a sloppy, rough kiss to Roxas' mouth. "I've never been so happy to be sassed." He tangled a hand in the blonde's hair and kissed his mouth again in a less-sloppy manner.

"You're ridiculous," Roxas sighed. "I'm sorry I asked you to come back."

"Nooo," Axel was grinning. "You didn't ask! You said 'please come home.' That's near begging!"

The blond shot him a fiery look. "I didn't beg you to come back!"

"Yes you did," the redhead pressed kisses to the other's cheeks. "You definitely did."

"Axel," he whined. "This is bordering sexual assault!"

"You can't sexually assault the wiling," he pointed out. "Let's go to bed."

Roxas blushed, but didn't protest much when Axel hoisted him over his shoulder and literally took him to bed.

* * *

**A/N: **I do feel genuinely bad for Demyx. I also feel badly for making Roxas out to be such a douchebag. He's not. It's just hard to not make him seem like such a monster when his main role in the story is being a brooding teen. The other thing I feel badly about is how late this is. This was the hardest thing EVER to write. I generally rewrite two to three times, but this was crazy. I rewrote this five or six times and I'm still not entirely pleased.

I don't know when the next chapter will surface. I'm HOPING it'll be end of December, beginning of January, but every time I give a date, it takes me longer to get the chapter out. Gargh! However, this chapter is pretty long. Hooray.

Anyway, thanks for being patient everyone. I really appreciate all the support. Thank you for reviewing, favoriting, alerting, and all that other neat stuff. You guys are absolutely fantastic.

**Thank You for Reviewing**

**Sensory Overload: **BAHAHAHA. Constipated bitch. New favorite insult. I hate putting anything all in one big chunk because things in life don't generally happen like that. It's all spaced out. And I also hate overloading people. I feel like it's better to get a nice, dynamic look around instead of "this is what happened yesterday, this is what's happening now."  
You're sweet. Can I say I love you too? I'm really glad you like my writing and I'm really glad you like this story. It makes me feel spectacular.

**Aindel S. Druida: **My ex loved Frank Sinatra Jr. I saw him in _Guys and Dolls. _Really excellent… Anyway, yea. I wish I could get these chapters out fast enough to be beta-edited. After this story is over, I'm not going to write anything until summer. -.- I never have free time.

**SitarLover: **I love the mental picture your review gave me. Imagining someone screaming, jumping, kicking, and giggling makes me think of crack addiction which makes me laugh. I'm glad you liked it.

**Reku14: **I'm still on the fence about Roxas finding out. I'm not sure how much good it'll do for him and I'm not even sure how that would ever come up in conversation. "Oh, hey, Roxas, did you hear? Your mom was a bitch! See you tomorrow!" Yea, I don't see that happening. At least not until much later.

**Usuilove21: **I like my writing being compared to rare jewels. That's awesome. Thanks. English is definitely a hard language to master. It was easier for me to learn, I think, because I was immersed in it. Immersion is such an important thing when learning a language.  
Believe me – I've written some REALLY bad things in my time on ff. Rewriting is never a bad thing for me, especially if it determines how the story will pan out.

**JustSayNoToPants: **Originally Roxas' mom was going to be just as sweet as Roxas made her out to be. But she was not. She was actually pretty evil, but Roxas just never saw it. Yea, I really, really do feel badly for Demyx. Axel is just heartlessly using him at his discretion, but I already know Demyx is going to get his in the end. And hopefully all the readers will stop being mad at Axel and start being mad at Demyx.

**TheAnnoyingVoice: **I wanted to show a separate side of Axel. He's got the bad reputation, but I wanted to put it out there that he's not wholly terrible. He sleeps around, but it isn't much, and he isn't after Roxas just to sleep with him. I like slowly building up to their relationship because it allows for other things, like Axel cheating on Demyx.  
Yea, there is a definite lack of Zexion x Demyx and Officer Leonhart. Trying to fit everything in is a real pain, but I promise the Zexion x Demyx payoff will be big. As will the whole twist with Officer Leonhart. I promise you won't be disappointed.

**Vithian: **It's late again this time, too. ._. Poop.  
Yea, Roxas does kind of a mom fetish which is a little weird. Especially considering she wasn't as great as he remembers her to be.  
High school stories are actually pretty hard to write with a splash of originality. Even in the flashback scenes, there's no real originality. It's still high school nonsense (cheating boyfriends, fist fights, gay romance in the bathroom… That shit happens in high school, right?).

**MoonLLotus: **AHAHAHAHAHA. Love this review. They are just a bunch of sluts and whores.

**Liarsenic: **I would have never read this story if it crossed my path. Too many words. That sounds so incredibly lazy, but it's easier to type out so many words than actually read them (reading them sounds like work). I'm glad you liked it though. It would've suck to get through all that and then realized it was the worst piece of crap you ever read.

**Jezzaanne: **Holy shit! You read this whole thing in one night? I applaud you. I would've gotten through a quarter of chapter one, gone "UGH. ME CAN'T READ THAT MANY WORDS," and clicked the back button forty-five hundred times. I'm really glad you liked it and I'm even more thrilled that you, just like Liarsenic, read it and found it worth your time to review. I hope the wait for chapter 7 was worth it.

**Sana-chan9: **Oh, Sana-chan… How I love thee.  
I KNOW. She is a crazy bitch. When I first wrote the moment she shared with Roxas about Sora, I was like "what kind of retarded kid would believe the shit she's spewing?" and then I remembered Roxas worshipped the ground she walked on. If she told him eating shit cured cancer, he'd probably consume it (ugh, ew. That's gross).

**TopHatGlow: **I keep a thesaurus on hand so I don't continually use words like 'good' and 'bad.' My vocabulary sometimes elopes with my thesaurus and I end up with words that I'm pretty sure aren't even words.  
I don't usually keep the fluff going for long. After I finish up the flashback chapters, shit will start rolling downhill. This story has to end eventually.

**Rocket-ship-Romance: **I got this review when I was having a really, really shitty day and it made me feel so much better. I really appreciate your analysis / opinion on the story and the events taking place. You're right – Officer Leonhart is up to no good and no, Axel isn't just that unlucky.  
Originally, their mother had no depth. She was going to be just as sweet and nice as Roxas made her out to be, but then I decided that that was boring and uninteresting and I could play around with her. I like the idea of her favoriting Roxas over the others. It kind of gives him this "I'm better than you guys" complex that sort of fucks him up when it comes to things like friendship and dating. And yea – I was going for the original Freudian concept.  
This is where the story gets kind of murky and I have to be careful to not make everyone hate Roxas or hate Riku or hate Axel. It's hard here because I want to make it clear that Roxas was being partially driven by his mother and partially driven by his own feelings and motives. Axel is just selfish and doesn't see the ramifications of his actions and Riku is… just something that I haven't even figured out yet. I think the Quadruplet's mom will play a slightly larger role when it comes to the remainder of the flashbacks. I'm still unsure of how she'll factor in at the end of the story.  
I can't believe you read this whole thing in one night. That's crazy. My eyes would've started to bleed and I would've waved my white flag. Or I would've gone on an extra-extended spider hunt and never returned to my PC.

**Sada-chan: **Those are all good questions. I don't know when Axel will find out, I haven't thought about how Riku would feel if Axel and Roxas slept together, and Kairi and Naminé made themselves known in this chapter. I really need to include them more.


	8. He Wades through the River of Angst

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **OH WOW.  
I updated in a timely manner. This chapter is angst-o-licious, but I added a teeny bit of humor and a tiny bit of Axel x Roxas fluff to make it bearable (thanks, Aindel! Without you, this chapter would've caused much wrist cutting.).

On another note: The documet manager crap-tastic thing on ffnet is being super-duper crap-tastic this morning. So, as you can see, no matter what I do, EVERYTHING is shifted to the left (which looks poopy). Please excuse the poopiness of this. Maybe when I post it, it'll be fixed (but probably not. I hate this thing.).

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

VIII – He Wades through the River of Angst

_**She pushed, she **__coaxed, she used the phrase 'carpe diem' until Roxas could not reason his way out of why her idea was a bad one. The way she stroked his cheek, the way she held his hand, the way she told him 'you're my favorite' made him want to do whatever she asked. It made him want to take her advice even if he knew it wasn't good advice. She was a hypnotist, she was a magician, she could get Roxas to do anything she wanted and even though he was wise to this, he still allowed himself to be manipulated._

"_It just seems mean."_

"_Roxy, my love, don't you understand?" she asked kindly, "What you have with Axel, your friendship, it's just… It's just puppy-love. What you shared with Riku was so much more real. Axel is just a rebound and it's not fair for you to use him to fill the gap."_

_Roxas sighed and looked down at his feet. They were sitting next to each other, on a bench in the park, and enjoying the last few days of summer. She had been gone for most of it. She had been on business trips and her absence in his time of need had greatly hurt him. However, because she hadn't been around, it meant he had had time to spend with Axel. It meant he and the redhead had spent nearly every day together in the summer just being friends._

_Not kissing, not having sex, not doing anything but talking about nothing. They had come to be friends and Roxas had begun to treat Axel and his star-painted bedroom as a safe haven from having to deal with Riku or Sora. He had begun to treat Axel as someone he could hide behind whenever he was feeling troubled. Axel had a way about him that made Roxas feel safe. The way he spoke, the way he smiled, the way he teased and played. He was making Roxas fall for him or… that's what he thought until he had sat down with his mother._

_He had explained it all to her. Told her all about Riku, the loss of his virginity, the time they had spent together. He told her about the fight, how Axel had broken them up, and then he told her how he had spent nearly the whole summer with Axel. How they would go almost every day to buy sea salt ice cream and hope they got a winning stick so tomorrow they could get free ice cream. How they had laid in Axel's backyard and did absolutely nothing._

"_Everything with Axel…" Roxas tightened his grip on his mother's hand. "He just makes me feel okay. He takes away any of the loneliness I feel. He takes all my fears away. And… and we share this understood silence. We don't have to say anything at all to each other. He just knows what I'm thinking or when I'm upset or…"_

"_Roxas," she interrupted gently. "Can you be honest with him?"_

"_What?"_

"_Can you be honest with Axel? Does he know about Riku? About Sora? Or are these secrets you keep to yourself?" she asked._

"_I… No, he doesn't know, but…"_

"_Listen to me." She brushed her auburn hair behind her ear. "Riku only stopped what he had with you because you told him you didn't love him. He couldn't take the rejection. Did you ever stop to think that maybe he's with Sora now because Sora is easier to love? Because Sora loves him back? Did you ever stop to think that Riku doesn't want someone that challenges him?"_

_Honestly, no. Roxas hadn't thought about any of this. Riku had made it pretty clear that he wanted very, very little to do with him. Granted, Roxas hadn't seen him for almost the whole summer, but he didn't imagine his feelings had changed._

"_Take him back. You have to take him back."_

"_But… But Sora, he –"_

"_Sora is caught in a loveless relationship. Do you realize that Riku is most likely using him? The same way that you're using Axel? Both of you have rebounded and that isn't fair to Sora or Axel. Riku is prideful, Roxy, so you need to go to him and get him back."_

_Roxas shifted slightly and frowned. How could he say no to her? How could he tell her he thought she was wrong? His mother had never pointed him in the wrong direction before and she had no reason to do so now. Besides, how did it benefit her in any way if he and Riku were together? Clearly she was looking out for what was best for him._

_Even so, he still couldn't get that nagging doubt to go away. He couldn't get that little voice to stop asking, "But what about what's best for Sora?"_

••••••••••••••

**Demyx had a **hard time pretending he wasn't mad at Axel for ditching him on Thanksgiving. Even if it was for a good reason, he couldn't help but feel annoyed with the mouthy redhead. His irritation only increased when he tried calling or texting and Axel very, very seldom responded. He was distracted. Demyx wasn't even getting _half_ his attention anymore and even though he would have liked to pretend his boyfriend was just busy or stressed, he couldn't help but feel like something else was going on.

"Probably something to do with Roxas," he mumbled irritably to himself as he began to slice an apple into pieces. Thanksgiving had come and gone, campus was once again alive with students, and the library was crammed full with kids trying to study for exams. They only had two weeks left before Christmas break and Demyx couldn't say he was looking forward to it.

"Something wrong?" Zexion asked. He was sitting at their kitchen table, watching as his roommate chopped angrily at his apple. He had been reading a book, but Demyx's muttering and mumbling had proved to be a distraction.

"How can he treat me like that?" Demyx growled, "I have no _proof_ Roxas is his reason for acting like I don't exist, but I can definitely guess that's why!"

Zexion shrugged. "Dump him," he stated simply.

Demyx looked up from his apple and gave his best friend a look. "You always say that and it's never the answer I'm looking for."

The slate haired boy shrugged again.

"Don't shrug at me!" Demyx raised his hands, and the knife, in the air. "Your opinion is biased anyway! I can't take advice from you because you're going to do whatever makes _you_ happy!"

Zexion wanted to look hurt, but instead he looked surprised. Demyx never even pretended to be interested in making astute observations. He often seemed distracted or he was singing to himself or he was dancing around to a beat only he could hear. It never occurred to Zexion that his love interest might not be daft in all areas of life. Maybe school just wasn't Demyx's expertise.

"You know, you're just as bad as Axel sometimes." He dropped his arms and proceeded to cut up his already chopped apple. "Maybe you two should date."

"No thank you." Zexion watched as Demyx furiously chopped at the apple pieces. "It's bad enough our cousins are dating. I'll be ecstatic when Leon comes to his senses."

The blond looked up at Zexion, opened his mouth to speak, but a slew of swear words left his lips instead. The knife clanged to the floor, blood dripped onto the mush of chopped apples, and Demyx pulled his hand close to his body and squeezed his index finger.

Zexion immediately stood and rushed over to the blond. He quickly grabbed a clean hand towel from a drawer and placed it over Demyx's finger. He applied pressure to the wound and then let a small sigh escape his lips.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea."

Zexion locked eyes with his best friend. "Liar."

"…Shut up." Demyx frowned. "I can do that myself."

"I know," he said, but he didn't let go. He held the towel tightly around the blonde's finger and the smallest smile crossed his lips when he saw the other blush. "Dem, I want you to do what makes you happy. I just… I hate the way Axel gets under your skin. I hate it when you walk around looking sad and bothered. I _am_ biased against Axel, so my advice isn't the best, but… You have to understand that I would still hate Axel even if you two weren't together. He's just…"

"Stupid?" Demyx offered.

"I was going to say an imbecile, but stupid works too."

A little smile crossed the blonde's lips and Zexion felt relieved. He hated seeing Demyx upset and it was even worse when the other's anger was directed at him. Zexion wasn't exactly good at apologizing, but sometimes that worked because Demyx wasn't exactly good at accepting apologies. He was just content to go back to the way things were.

"Does your finger hurt?" Zexion asked.

"A little," he replied. "Can… can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

Demyx sighed. "When… When I first met Axel, he and Riku were joking about how Roxas and Axel were engaged." His pretty blue eyes looked toward the floor. "Do you… Do you think maybe Axel and Roxas…" He trailed off and then shrugged. "Never mind. It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Zexion said a little too quickly.

Their eyes locked. They stared at each other for a long time. There was silence between them and blood ran out from under the hand towel and down Demyx's arm. Zexion's eyes were wide and he was doing that _thing _he always did when he realized he had just said something he shouldn't have.

"What?" Demyx breathed. "What, Zexy?"

"Nothing," he mumbled. "It's nothing, Dem. You're right. It's nothing."

Demyx shook his head. "No, you know something!" He pulled his hand away from his best friend and the bloody hand towel fell from his finger and to the floor in a dirty mess. It was at this moment that Zexion realized Demyx was missing a large chunk of his right index finger.

••••••••••••••

"_**How do you **__think I feel?"_

_Riku pretended to not hear the question. He just continued to flip through his history textbook, reading bits and pieces and then recording little notes. Despite it only being the third week of school, Riku already had a paper due in history. It was a small paper, only three pages double-spaced, but he didn't want to start falling behind. Especially not so early in his junior year._

"_Riku."_

"_I'm busy." He didn't look up from his textbook. He just continued to mark things here or there and prayed that the bell would ring to signify the end of their lunch period. He and Sora didn't have the same lunch period this semester and, unfortunately, he and Roxas did. It was coincidence, but a bad one and Riku had done a good job at hiding from the blond, but he eventually just gave up._

_Mostly because Sora told Riku that he and Roxas had the same lunch period so Riku should really get to know Roxas. Sora said he wanted them to be friends. Said he wanted them to really get to know one another, especially after their fight last year._

_And Riku ignored the guilt and promised to quit avoiding his boyfriend's twin._

"_You can't act like this forever," Roxas frowned._

"_This is the library," Riku growled, "not a place for us to have a discussion about… about whatever horrible thing it is that you want to talk about."_

_Roxas glared and set his stuff on the table Riku was sitting at. He took a seat across from the older boy, his face transfixed in a pout. "You have no idea why I wanna speak to you! Maybe I want to apologize."_

_Riku looked up from his textbook. "Do you?"_

"_No! This is your fault anyway!"_

"_Oh, for God's sake…" he muttered irritably. He closed his book and shoved it roughly into his bag. Roxas immediately stood and slipped his own bag over his shoulders. Riku's eyes narrowed._

"_You can't keep avoiding me."_

_Riku ran a hand through his locks of silver hair. "Why don't you go bother Axel? I know he has a dick you can nurse on."_

_Roxas looked extremely hurt by the nasty comment and he immediately tried to mask it, but Riku had already seen it. The older boy's shoulders slouched, he breathed a sigh, and then he reached out to gently touch the blonde's hand._

"_Sorry," he mumbled as he played idly with a bracelet Roxas was wearing. "I'm just… I really want everything to work with Sora, Rox."_

"_Then why are you mad that I'm friends with Axel?" Roxas frowned and watched Riku's eyes search for some kind of answer. He watched as Riku retracted his hand, as he breathed a sigh through his mouth, as he checked his watch to see how much longer they had for their lunch period._

"_Jesus, Rox, what do you want me to say?"_

"_I just want to know why you're so mean to me when we haven't spoken in months. I want to know why you're all cold, but then you make snide comments about Axel. If you really want it all to work out with Sora, then why can't you just be my friend?" Roxas frowned and nervously drummed his fingers on the library table top._

"_Because, Roxas… You just…" he paused and then hesitated before answering, "It's for the same reason you keep coming back to me even though I keep treating you badly."_

_The bell rang and Riku took this momentary interruption as his chance to quickly leave the library. Roxas stayed rooted to his spot. It didn't really matter to him if he was late to class. What mattered was that Riku had been a little bit honest with him. Riku had admitted that he was addicted to Roxas._

_Just like Roxas was to him._

••••••••••••••

**It was pouring **rain and Roxas absolutely _hated_ it when it rained on top of fresh snow. It made everything extra wet, extra slick, and extra mushy and gross. It didn't help that Roxas wasn't exactly fond of December or January. His mother had died in December and he was always left feeling badly whenever winter came around. He had been moodier than usual, colder than usual, and much more distant than what was normal. Axel, who had felt he and Roxas were making ground, was hurt when the blond suddenly became Zombie-like all over again.

Sora and Riku didn't pay much attention to this. Axel had come to conclude that Roxas' random acts of bitchiness were just something the two of them had gotten used to. That, or they were so absorbed in one another, they didn't notice it when Roxas mumbled disparaging things under his breath or retreated into his bedroom for days at a time.

"When are you going home for break?" Riku asked Sora. They had made sugar cookies and Sora was waiting patiently for Riku to finish making the frosting so they could start decorating. Axel was sitting at the kitchen table, looking glum, and stirring Fruit Loops around in his bowl of cereal.

"When I'm done with exams," Sora answered. "So, the sixteenth, I think? I know Kairi's already finished her exams. I think her and Nami might go home early."

"I'm going to miss you." Riku cooed as he began to spoon homemade frosting from the mixing bowl into smaller bowls. Sora had already picked out the dyes they were going to use for decorating and as soon as Riku spooned frosting into a bowl, Sora would put a few drops of color in and then stir it all up.

"Get a room," Axel grumbled.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked from his spot on the countertop.

"Trouble in paradise," Riku answered.

Axel pushed his bowl of cereal away from his face and laid his head on the table. He made a noise, a moan of displeasure mixed with something like a fake sob, and then he lifted his head again and rested his chin on his hand. He drummed his fingers against the tabletop and saw Riku and Sora exchange a look.

"It's not fair!" Axel suddenly exclaimed. "How can he just turn himself on and off like that? "

"Well," Riku said, "he's either a manipulative, heartless prick or a robot."

Sora passed his boyfriend a look and opened his mouth to say something, but Axel had laid his head down, hard, on the kitchen table again. The couple exchanged another look and then Sora sighed and put down the bowl of frosting he had been stirring. It was a nice, lime green color.

"Look, Axel, it's not you. Roxas is just… always really grumpy around the holidays," Sora explained.

Axel lifted his head from the table and glared. "I'm really tired of everyone saying that to me. It's not _just_ the holidays. Roxas is _always_ mad about something. I can't wait for you guys to start defending him by saying shit like 'oh, it's Wednesday and Roxas hates words that start with w.'"

Riku didn't say a word. Sora picked up his bowl of frosting and immediately began stirring it again. Axel raised his brows and frowned when he saw Sora concentrating overly hard on his frosting and Riku doing the exact same thing.

"Why are you –"

"Because I'm standing in the kitchen and neither of them wants to admit they were talking about me. By the way, I heard what you said. Asshole."

Axel turned in his seat and his jade eyes narrowed when he caught sight of his disheveled and unhappy-looking love interest. "Well, I meant it."

Roxas ran a hand through his mess of hair and shrugged. "That's nice."

"Oh, just shut up!" Axel stood suddenly and Roxas, who had been making his way to the fridge, stopped in his tracks. His blue eyes got wide and Sora and Riku both looked up from their work and stared. The room had become deathly silent and slightly awkward.

"Just cut it out, okay?" the redhead yelled. "Just stop walking around acting like everyone and everything bothers you! If you want to be sad, then be sad! Don't act like you've got some huge chip on your shoulder and some big fucking score to settle! Act like a douchebag to the universe or… or God! Not to me or Sora or Riku or anyone else!"

Sora and Riku looked away from both boys. Neither of them knew how to intervene, or if they even should, and Roxas appeared to be just as lost they were. Axel _rarely_ lost his temper. Riku could attest to this because he knew Axel was much more indirect. More of a "horse head in your bed" kind of guy. Not a "scream at you until you cry" kind of guy.

"Everyone tries to be really cool about your feelings and your sanity and your problems, but you just walk all over everyone else." Axel gripped the back of his chair. His voice had dropped quite a few decibels, but he still felt he hadn't gotten the point across. "There's so much to be happy about, Roxas, but you're smacking down every opportunity and every chance. If you want to wallow and be miserable, then fine, but stop taking me down with you."

Roxas did everything possible to avoid eye contact with Axel.

"Every time I feel like I'm getting closer to you, you just… You put me right back in my place. You remind me that I'm me and you're you and the only way we'd ever coexist peacefully is if I was someone else. And it sucks, Roxas! It really, really sucks…"

Silence filled the kitchen again. Roxas was still staring at the floor, trying hard to avoid Axel's piercing stare and Riku and Sora were trying to pretend that they weren't there. They were trying to pretend they weren't witnessing this little bit of nastiness between Axel and Roxas and they tried to ignore that Roxas _deserved _to be told all of that.

"You don't understand…" Roxas mumbled weakly.

"Well, gee, ya' think?" Axel asked. "I _want _to understand, Roxas, I do! But you're a closed and locked book! It's like you want me to rip the lock off with my teeth and find all your secrets! I mean, Jesus Christ, do you want me to violate your trust? Do you want me to go pawing around for all the things you want to hide?"

"I don't know!" Roxas yelled. "Just… just leave me alone, okay?"

"Oh my God." Axel ran a hand through his hair and told himself to take a deep breath. He was having a hard time _not_ clocking Roxas over the head. He was having a really hard time keeping himself from screaming a string of obscenities and accusations at the small blond. Roxas would definitely deserve it. He was playing around with Axel and Axel hated it. It made him absolutely crazy. It was driving him absolutely insane.

"Fine," he concluded. "Fine. If you really want me to leave you alone, then I will."

Axel left the kitchen without waiting for any kind of response. He was angry and he had every right to be. Roxas shouldn't be allowed to walk on people the way he did and Axel couldn't help but feel angry toward Sora and Riku too. It occurred to him that they allowed this behavior. They let Roxas do whatever he wanted because they felt badly for him.

But Axel's sympathy was running out.

"Roxas?" Sora slipped from his place on the counter and walked over to his brother. "You… Want to frost cookies with us?"

Riku glanced over at them, but then continued to mix the frosting and dyes together. He felt odd interacting with Roxas now that he and Sora were back together. It wasn't as if Riku liked Roxas anymore. Those feelings had long since disappeared. But it was better to just not even go there. It was better to do what he knew would make Sora comfortable.

"No." He shook his head and sighed. "I can't believe Axel just yelled at me."

"I can," Riku muttered.

Roxas glared at him and it only increased when Sora seemed to be sporting the same kind of attitude. He frowned at both of them and crossed his arms over his chest. "So both of you think I deserved it?"

They exchanged a look. A look that clearly said 'yes' and Roxas felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment and humiliation.

"I'm not the only one guilty of bad behavior!" Roxas exclaimed. "He's cheating on Demyx!"

Heat suddenly flared in Riku's cheeks and he rounded on Roxas. A bowl slipped from the counter and broke into pieces on the floor. "You're leading Axel on! You told him you didn't care if he dated Demyx, but then you throw yourself at him!"

Sora crossed his arms over his chest and didn't defend his brother. Roxas looked extremely hurt.

"Just don't," Riku spat. "Don't even act like what you're doing now is any different from what you did then."

Roxas couldn't mask his hurt, "Oh, fuck you! That has _nothing_ to do with anything!"

"Yes it does!" Riku yelled. "You're a fucking home wrecker!"

"I'm a home wrecker?" Roxas yelled back. "You let me in! I was fourteen years old! What the fuck was I supposed to do? Take all my knowledge of boys, the world, and sex and realize you were _using_ me?"

Riku took a step toward Roxas and Sora saw this quickly getting out of hand. "I _used_ you? Is that what you tell yourself to make yourself feel better? You were naïve and you got _used_?"

"Stop!" Sora yelled suddenly. "Just stop! Stop arguing! I don't _care_ what happened or what either of you _think _happened!"

"Sora –" Riku tried.

"No!" he snapped. "Don't, okay? Because both of you are selfish and neither of you realize that _regardless _of what happened, the only person who REALLY got fucked in all of this was me!"

Roxas and Riku both looked away. Both guilty, both at fault, both trying to be the victim and not the aggressor.

"I'm the one who ended up with a wrecked relationship! I'm the one who was betrayed! I'm the one who had to learn to trust _both_ of you again! And, and you…" He looked at Roxas, "You _do_ walk around feeling sorry for yourself! You do walk all over everyone! And I'm sick of it because… because…"

There was a pause here. Roxas knew what was coming next. He knew what was coming because it was something Sora had never been able to say.

"You wrecked my relationship! You stole my boyfriend! And what's even worse is you don't ever even seem to feel bad! Clearly you haven't learned _anything_ from it! Riku's right! You're doing to Axel and Demyx what you did to us!" Sora yelled. "God, Roxas, you're such a jerk sometimes! And you act it's okay because Mom died, but guess what, Roxas? Mom was a lying, manipulative bitch!"

Sora had hit a nerve. Roxas had made a fist and struck his twin before he could stop himself. Once Sora had regained his composure, he immediately struck back and they were in an all-out brawl. Riku attempted to pull them apart, but they were both bound and determined to harm one another and Riku had a feeling that this was a long time coming.

"Axel!" he yelled from the kitchen as he tried, unsuccessfully, to push both of them apart.

"What?" the redhead shouted from upstairs.

"Help!" Riku yelled back.

He was down the stairs and in the kitchen within seconds. He wasn't so displeased to see the twins fighting. He even thought it was a little humorous that Riku was trapped between them and trying to get them apart. Axel plucked Roxas from the fight and even though he flailed in an attempt to get at Sora, Axel held him back with relative ease.

Riku didn't have difficulty holding Sora back, but mostly because Sora didn't seem interested in kicking and scratching his boyfriend just so he and Roxas could continue their fistfight.

"Take it back!" Roxas roared, still trying to break away from Axel.

"No!" Sora shouted. He reached up and felt his lip. It was busted and it was already starting to swell.

"How can you even say that?" Roxas had stopped flailing so much and now he just appeared to be very upset. "How can you even say that about her?"

"Maybe because it's true?" Riku muttered.

Sora glared. "Not helping," he stated through gritted teeth.

"Shut up!" Roxas screamed. "It is not! She never…" His voice cracked and he felt the burning shame of humiliation. "She never meant…" Roxas looked down at the floor, his cheeks a deep, deep shade of red. "She just wanted to help…" he said weakly.

"No she didn't!" Sora yelled.

Riku placed a hand on the brunet's shoulder and Sora didn't continue to yell. He was angry, his lip was swollen and bleeding, and he knew that this fight wasn't over. He knew that this fight had been a long time coming and he knew that this wasn't the end.

Roxas felt the tears come to his eyes faster than he could stop them. He hung his head and tried to hide it. Shame flooded through him and he felt his shoulders shake with sobs that threatened to overcome him. He wanted Sora to take it back. He wanted Sora to understand that she never meant…

"Okay," Roxas choked. It was all he could manage.

Axel had that same uncomfortable feeling that he was spying. He had that same nastiness in his stomach that made him want to leave the room. He hadn't realized it, but he was still holding Roxas by the waist. The redhead knew he shouldn't reward Roxas' bad behavior. He knew he shouldn't feel sympathy for the other, especially not when he deserved it. But that didn't stop him from yanking the blond close and holding him tight. That didn't stop him from burying his face into Roxas' hair and that didn't stop him from realizing that the smell in _Aesop's Fables_ wasn't Roxas' mother.

It was Roxas.

••••••••••••••

_**By February of **__his sophomore year, he and Riku were together again. It was in secret, of course, but Roxas had pushed the other boy for months. He would follow him during his lunch period and ask him why they had stopped. Roxas would "accidentally" touch Riku or "mistakenly" end up in compromising positions with him. He tried making himself irresistible to the older boy and though nothing seemed to really catch Riku's attention, Roxas kept pushing._

_And then in February, Roxas stopped pushing and he just started taking._

"_What do you need help with?" Riku sighed. "I told Sora I'd meet him right after school."_

"_I just need help with this English paper…" Roxas lied. He had led Riku upstairs and into one of the open classrooms. He shut the door behind them and then walked over to one of the desks. "I thought maybe you could proof read it."_

"_With the door closed?" Riku asked. He didn't need to be suspicious. He already knew what was going on. "Look, this is just getting ridi –"_

_Roxas crushed his lips to Riku's own and Riku immediately pushed him off._

"_Stop." He was blushing. "I'm dating your brother, remember?"_

"_I can't help it…" he breathed. "You're just irresistible." He pushed his body against Riku's own and slipped his hands into the older boy's back pockets._

"_Roxas, no." Riku grasped the blonde's shoulders and shoved him off roughly. "This is crazy. You're crazy."_

"_Just about you."_

_Riku rolled his eyes._

"_Oh, come on!" Roxas sighed. "I'll leave you alone if you kiss me."_

"_No."_

"_I'll never even speak to you again if you kiss me. Just once."_

_Riku sighed. "Roxas…"_

"_Please?" he whined. "I miss you."_

_Riku felt guilt wash over him and he ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Fine. But then you can never, ever speak to me again. You forget we had anything together, okay? You leave me alone from now on, okay?"_

"_Deal."_

_He stuck his pinkie out and Riku looked at it briefly before offering his own pinkie._

_Roxas breathed a soft sigh when Riku's hand tangled in his mess of blond hair. He felt the older boy's hand station itself on his hip. He felt Riku's breath when he was inches from his face, inches from his lips. His eyes fell closed when their lips touched and Roxas felt his whole entire world spin. Whether or not it was the same for Riku, he didn't know, but Roxas felt intoxicated by the sensation._

_And then their kiss deepened. It went from chaste and innocent to Riku sliding his hands underneath Roxas' shirt as their tongues wrestled for dominance. It became Roxas moaning softly as Riku kissed his neck and left small, insignificant marks along his jaw line. It became so much more than just a 'leave me alone forever' kiss. It was the start of something awful._

_Riku was addicted to this and he absolutely hated himself for it._

••••••••••••••

_**The Flower, the **__Cock, and the Conquered_

_He was a fine man. A man of many stories (lies), a man of many accomplishments (fabricated), and a man who enjoyed deflowering virgins (tons of them). He told beautiful women he was a hero. He won them over by telling them of his supposed great deeds. He would buy them drinks at the local pubs. He would liquor these ladies up and then he would deflower them. Now, he only slept with virgins and many towns knew that he went about deflowering women. He had been running his scam for years and because he never stayed in one place long, he had never been caught. However, word spread faster than he did and the next evening he went out, all the women avoided him. The next day, he left for a new town and that same thing occurred that evening. Eventually, all the men and women of every town banished him and he had nowhere to call home._

Moral: Deflowering too many virgins shows a man's untrustworthiness.

_Aesop's Fables _sat on the edge of Axel's desk and Axel had taken to sitting beneath his window. The rain from yesterday had turned to snow and Axel hadn't left his room since yesterday afternoon after the fight in the kitchen. He had been hiding and for good reason. He knew that if he saw Roxas skulking about, his face all puffy and red, he'd immediately want to make everything better for the blond. He knew he'd invite Roxas to his room. He knew he would cuddle with Roxas on his bed and tell him everything would be okay.

He knew all the yelling he had done in the kitchen would be for nothing if he went to Roxas now. So he was waiting for Roxas to come to him.

Axel was also avoiding Riku and Sora. He had heard bits and pieces from the argument in the kitchen (maybe he was eavesdropping somewhat, but only because he had heard his and Demyx's names) and he had suddenly become very, very uncomfortable with the idea that Roxas had, perhaps, been the "other woman" in Riku and Sora's relationship years ago.

It didn't sit well with Axel. It gave him goosebumps and made him want to crawl in bed for eternity.

_How do you know if you're in love? _He scribbled at the top of a tattered notebook page. Axel clacked his red pen against his teeth and then tossed his notebook to the floor. He stood and made his way across his messy room. Riku wasn't exactly who he wanted to talk to at the moment, but he had a feeling his best friend could give him some insight on the whole 'love' thing.

He walked out of his room and over towards Riku's door. He gave a knock, waited, and when no one answered, he grabbed the knob and just let himself in.

"Hey, Rik –" Axel frowned when he saw Roxas lying in his best friend's mess of sheets. "What are you doing?"

Roxas had looked up at Axel briefly and then immediately looked away. He knew he probably looked bad. Crying never made anyone look good. He hadn't even showered and it was already midday. It just seemed like work to groom himself.

"I don't want to be around Sora."

"So you're lying in Riku's bed."

"Yea," Roxas said. "Does it matter? He and Sora are probably lying in _my _bed downstairs."

Axel sighed. "Great." He made a move to leave, but stopped when he heard his duplex-mate mumble something that sounded like "don't leave" under his breath. He paused in the doorway and hesitated before asking, "What?"

"Nothing." Roxas sighed.

"Okay." Axel made another move to leave, but, again, Roxas muttered something that sounded a _lot_ like "don't go" under his breath. Again, Axel paused and then he sighed and asked, "What?"

Roxas looked up at him.

Axel leaned against the doorway. "Come on, Roxy… I can't…"

"Please."

He was _really_ tugging at the redhead's heartstrings. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed another sigh through his nose. "I can't do this with you."

"It's not…" Roxas' voice cracked and humiliation burned through him. "It's not a game…" he whispered.

"Yea, I know. Games are fun." Axel sighed and watched Roxas bury his face deep into Riku's pillow. His fingers gripped the edges, his whole entire body was tense, and the redhead felt so badly for the other and he knew he shouldn't.

Roxas didn't say another word so Axel took this moment to leave. He quietly closed the door behind him and retreated to the sanctuary that was his bedroom. He took his place underneath the window, notebook and pen in hand, and he began to write.

_The Wolf and the Sheep_

_A lonely wolf entered a barn one rainy night and decided he was going to live there because it was cozy and warm. A few days into his stay, a sheep approached the wolf and told him he had to leave because this was the sheep's home. The wolf refused and told the sheep they could both live in harmony. And the sheep laughed and told the wolf that it was impossible for them to be harmonious because wolves eat sheep. But the wolf promised he'd keep to himself and he promised he'd stay away, so the sheep reluctantly agreed to let the wolf stay.  
After a few months, the wolf found he rather liked the sheep even if nature had put them at odds. He decided he _really_ liked this sheep and a few more months went by before he finally got up the courage to tell the sheep how he felt. He gathered some flowers from a nearby field and once night fell, he said to the sheep, "I think I might be somewhat of a fool because I think I'm in love with you."  
The sheep looked at the wolf for a long, long time and then gently turned him down. The next day the sheep had left the barn without a trace and the wolf couldn't help but feel abandoned. The sheep never had to love him back because the wolf's love was unconditional. But maybe the sheep had never been looking for love and the wolf had been foolish to act on his feelings._

Moral:

Axel hesitated. He tapped his pen against the top of the page and tried to think of a decent moral for his fable. It had to be something about love… It had to have something to do with Rox –

Axel groaned. Not _Roxas_. The sheep. The moral had to have something to do with the _sheep_.

"Axel?"

The redhead looked up from his notebook. Roxas had cracked his door and was peering in, his cheeks red and his eyes puffy. He looked like a mess and Axel felt his heart beat uncomfortably against his chest. He tossed his notebook and pen to the floor and stood. Roxas was such a kicked puppy. He was filled to the brim with inner turmoil and Axel couldn't decide if he found this annoying or charming.

He walked over to the doorway and opened it up a little wider. They made eye contact, blue into green, and then they were holding each other. They were gripping each other. Roxas had his face buried against Axel's chest and the sobs he had been repressing were suddenly on the surface. He clutched the older boy and Axel was clutching right back. He pressed kisses to the top of Roxas' head and the sweet smell of honeysuckle threatened to overwhelm his senses.

"I'm sorry," Roxas choked.

Axel pressed the blond close to him. Wasn't it obvious? Roxas would always be forgiven.

Axel loved him.

••••••••••••••

"_**Can you keep **__a secret?" Riku whispered._

_Naminé felt the hair on her neck rise and she swallowed thickly. She was drawing a picture of Kairi in her sketchbook during her free period at school and she hadn't heard Riku creep up behind her. Rarely did she speak with Riku, but he and Roxas had made it their mission to follow her around and ask her not to tell Sora what she had seen._

"_When the secret is worth keeping," she responded unkindly._

_Riku felt his heart beat roughly against his chest. He took a seat next to her and breathed a very controlled sigh through his nose. She was still trying to draw, but it was useless. She was distracted now. She had been trying to forget about what she had seen, but it was impossible to do when she was being harassed about it._

"_Naminé, look –"_

"_I don't want to hear your reasoning behind it." She closed her notebook and slipped her pencil along the binding. "I don't want to be involved in it at all. I didn't from the start and –"_

"_From the start?" Riku interrupted. "You knew I liked Roxas from the start?"_

_She stared at Riku for a moment or two and then she put her hands over her ears. "I can't hear you. I'm not listening. La la la –"_

"_Naminé!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled one of her hands away from her ear. "Please don't tell him."_

_She gave Riku a look. "Dump Sora."_

"_What?"_

"_Dump Sora and I won't tell him. What you're doing to him is wrong. If you really do like Roxas over Sora, then you need to dump him."_

_Riku shifted uncomfortably. "But I love Sora."_

_Naminé gave a mirthless laugh. "Really? Because it certainly didn't seem that way when I walked in."_

_He blushed and ignored the guilt and embarrassment that bubbled uncomfortably in his chest. He cleared his throat for lack of something better to do and then he looked around the library to see if Sora or Roxas was around._

"_What if I just stop what Roxas and I are doing?"_

_Naminé sighed and stood up from her seat. "I don't care. You just… you can't be doing… _that_ to both of them. I don't want to talk about it or hear about it anymore, okay? I don't want to be involved and you and Roxas have done a fine job of putting me in the middle."_

_Riku looked away and tried to ignore the guilt._

"_Please don't bother me about this again."_

_Naminé grabbed her sketchbook from the table and left the library without another word to Riku. She never wanted to know what was going on behind the closed doors, both literally and metaphorically. What was even worse was Naminé knew she was now just as guilty as Roxas and Riku and by not telling Sora, she was only helping their affair._

_She knew she was just as bad as them. She knew that the only reason she didn't tell was because she wanted so badly to protect Roxas. She wanted to pretend she was just a victim in all this, but Naminé knew better._

_She was an aggressor too._

••••••••••••••

**Somehow he and **Roxas had ended up in his bed, cuddled together and holding each other. Though Roxas had come to him like Axel had wanted, the redhead was still unsettled about the whole entire ordeal. He still felt his sympathy could be better spent elsewhere. However, he supposed that this was one of the many dire consequences of love; placing forgiveness where it shouldn't be placed. Love truly was blind.

And stupid. So, so stupid.

"Axel…" Roxas breathed. "I'm sorry about –"

"Nope," the redhead interrupted.

Roxas frowned. He glanced over his shoulder (they were spooning and the glance didn't help because Axel was much taller than him) and tried to speak again, "No, listen. I just want you to –"

"Nope. It's okay. Forgiven. All sins are hereby absolved. Can't cry over spilled milk, you know?"

His blond eyebrows came together. "Well, actually… You can."

"But we're men, so we won't."

Roxas didn't question Axel. It was clear what he was doing and the blonde was content to just relax in the other's arms and play along. "You say 'men,' but it's clear I'm the only man here."

"What's that, Roxanne?" Axel tightened his arms around Roxas. "I couldn't hear you. Your voice is just so soft and feminine."

Roxas flailed and struggled to get out of the redhead's arms in mock offense, but all he managed to do was turn himself around and Axel responded by squishing the blond against his chest. The redhead ran his fingers through the shorter boy's hair and ignored the mumbled insults being lobbed at him.

"Hey, Roxy."

"Mph… what?" He squirmed a bit away from Axel, enough so he could look up at the other.

"If I said you had a hot body, would you hold it against me?"

Roxas stared. His lips parted as if he wanted to argue, but then he closed his mouth and just let a heavy sign escape through his nose. "If you were words on a page, you'd be fine print," he replied.

Axel smiled and pressed his forehead to Roxas' own. "Um... If stars fell every time I thought of you, the sky would be empty."

Roxas wrapped his arms loosely around Axel's neck and a small blush crept up his neck when he felt the redhead's hands slide downward to rest on his lower back. "If I had a star for every time you brightened my day, I'd have a whole galaxy in my hand."

"If a thousand painters painted for a thousand years, they couldn't create a work of art as beautiful as you."

He squirmed closer to Axel so their bodies touched. He ran his fingers through the taller boy's soft, red locks and pressed a gentle, brief kiss to his lips. "I wish I was your derivative so I could lay tangent to your curves."

There was a momentary pause. Axel's eyebrows came together and a small smile formed on his lips. "Is… Is that a _calculus _pick-up line? You're a nerd." He laughed and slipped his hands underneath Roxas' shirt, gracing the smooth skin with his fingertips.

"I'm not a nerd," he contested. "Fine, um… How about… I'd rather ride you than Yoshi any day."

Axel grinned. "That's still pretty nerdy, Roxy." He ignored the other's eye roll and raked his fingers down his back. "If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' between 'F' and 'CK.'"

"That's romantic," Roxas stated sarcastically. He brushed his hand across the redhead's cheek as he thought of the next line. "Ooh, okay… If your right leg was Christmas and your left leg was Easter, would you let me come for dinner between the holidays?"

Axel couldn't wipe the grin off his face. "If I was a watermelon, would you spit or swallow my seed?"

Roxas made a face. "Are you subtly asking me if I spit or swallow?"

"No, but that is a _great_ question." Axel pressed a brief kiss to the blonde's lips. "Tell me."

"What? No. I like our pick-up line game better." Roxas blushed and took a moment to bury his face against Axel's chest.

The redhead didn't debate. He squeezed the blonde close to him and nuzzled his face into his hair. "I'm sure I'll find out soon enough." Axel paused. "I can _feel_ you rolling your eyes, Roxy."

"Good," he replied. Then he added, "So… is that a wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Axel cringed and smiled. "I'm going to pretend that isn't a _Harry Potter _pick-up line."

They fell silent and Roxas couldn't help but beam when he felt Axel tangle their legs together. It felt good to be this close to him. It felt good to be wrapped up in him like this. He nuzzled his face against the older boy's chest and released a soft, content sigh through his nose.

"Hey, Axel?"

"Hm?" he purred.

"We'll always be friends, right?" Roxas looked up at the other with wide, red-rimmed eyes.

A gentle smile spread across his lips and he slipped one of his hands from Roxas' back. He wiggled his pinkie at him and instantly the blond understood. He took his hand from around Axel and latched his pinkie with the redhead's own.

"Pinkie promise."

••••••••••••••

_**It seemed unfair **__that Riku had been going to break it off with Roxas when Sora found out. It seemed like some kind of foul for Sora to walk in and see Roxas kissing Riku on the mouth. He had been going to tell Roxas they had to knock it off. He had been going to tell the blond that they needed to quit because Naminé was right. This wasn't good. This was unfair. Riku had never meant to be the kind of boyfriend that steps out, but he had become just that._

_And it was really starting to bother him._

_Of course, Roxas didn't take the news well and he immediately began to kiss Riku. He immediately began to justify it by saying "just one last time." It was just bad timing. It was all just one giant mess. Sora had walked in, saw them kissing, and then there was no explaining it. Sora didn't want to hear it. He didn't care what either of them had to say. He couldn't _handle_ knowing that the two people closest to him had deceived him._

"_It wasn't –"_

"_Just stop," Sora growled. "Just leave me alone! I really don't want to listen to anything you have to say!"_

"_Sora…" Riku followed the brunet to his locker. They had been caught three days ago and Sora had done an exceptionally good job at shutting him and Roxas out. "I'm sorry."_

"_And?" He slammed his locker closed and glared at the older boy. "I don't care if you're sorry! I don't want anything to do with you anymore, okay? You and Roxas can go and be together now!" Sora gripped his English textbook tightly. "You ran around behind my back and… and you were screwing _my brother_! And all you have to say is _sorry_? Please, just stop trying to alleviate your guilt by apologizing."_

_Sora turned and began to walk away, but Riku reached out and grasped his arm. "Sora, please…"_

_The brunet snatched his arm away. "Don't touch me. I hate you, Riku. I hate you and I hate Roxas and I –"_

"_It wasn't Roxas' fault," Riku interrupted._

_Sora rolled his eyes. "It takes two to tango," he stated coldly._

"_No, listen. I… I get you're angry at me, but… but I initiated everything with Roxas. I pushed him, Sora, and I… I know you don't want to hear it!" He reached out and placed his hands on the brunet's shoulders. "But I don't want you to go around hating Roxas! I told him that if he just… if he would just be with me once, I would stop harassing him. I –"_

_He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear this. And before he knew what he was doing, he had struck Riku with his English textbook._

_To be fair, Sora had warned him._

••••••••••••••

_**The last week **__of school had been unbearable and Sora, who had been suspended for hitting Riku, seemed to be faring better than Roxas and Riku. The brunet wasn't completely convinced that his brother had little to do with Riku's cheating, but he didn't want to talk about it. He had been wholly ignoring Roxas to the point where he just acted like his twin wasn't around. He pretended like Roxas didn't exist. Sora didn't want to scream because if he screamed, he would cry and someone like Riku didn't deserve to be cried over._

_Kairi had been faithfully by Sora's side and she had done her part to make Roxas feel as horrible as possible. She, too, had taken to pretending he didn't exist and Naminé, afraid of being treated like Roxas, also joined in on the quadruplet's ousting. She knew she was just as guilty as Roxas, but she didn't want anyone else to know. She never asked to be a part of this and she felt it somewhat unfair to be punished for something that had been shoved onto her._

_Riku had stopped talking to Roxas, too. He had completely erased the blond from his life and his attempts to get Sora back went wholly unnoticed by the hurt brunet._

_It was a month into summer and Roxas, who had spent most of his days in solitary confinement (and not by choice), had escaped from his house one hot afternoon. His mother was away on one of her business trips and she had been conveniently busy or just not around ever since Riku and Roxas had been found out. Of course she knew. How could she not? But Roxas hadn't been the one to tell her. He hadn't spoken to her in months. She, too, seemed to be ignoring him like his siblings._

_He made his way over toward the high school, toward the sea salt ice cream vendor. He had stopped trying to contact Riku only a week ago. It was painfully obvious that even though Riku shouldered all the blame, he was angry with Roxas. It was clear that the _only_ quadruplet he wanted anything to do with was Sora._

_Roxas refrained from pointing out that Riku should've made that decision earlier._

_With his sea salt ice cream in hand, Roxas made his way over to the bleachers at the high school football field. He was glad school was out for the summer, but he was terrified of what would happen when the fall rolled around. How long were his siblings going to treat him this way? How long was it going to take for his mother to admit she had been wrong? A sigh escaped his lips as he reached the top of the bleachers and sat. The sun was setting in the distance and his sea salt ice cream had already begun to melt._

_As he sat by himself, he suddenly realized how unhappy he was. He suddenly realized how bad he felt. He suddenly realized that he never should've done anything with Riku, that he never should've abused Sora's trust like that. He also realized how incredibly alone he was without the comfort of his family._

_Not even his mother wanted to be there for him and _she_ was the one who had told him this was the right thing to do. But now he and Riku weren't together. Now Riku was just trying to do everything in his power to get Sora back. This hadn't worked out at all and now his mother was just… gone._

"_Hey, Roxy!"_

_He jumped, startled, when Axel came and took a seat next to him. He had his own sea salt ice cream and he was looking just as happy as always._

"_Haven't talked to you at all this year! Maybe we're only meant to be pals during the summer time…" he mused thoughtfully. His tongue darted out to lick at his ice cream and his eyes fell to Roxas' hand. "You know your ice cream is melting." He pointed out. "Might want to – Roxy?"_

_The blond looked extremely upset, on the verge of tears, and Axel frowned._

"_Hey…" He put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Are you okay?"_

_He dropped his ice cream to his feet and he threw his arms around Axel. He buried his face against the other's chest and the tears were in his eyes before he could stop them. The redhead was used to this by now and he didn't mind. He never minded. He just patted and rubbed the other's back and told him that whatever it was that was bothering him would eventually go away._

_They stayed that way for a long time. Roxas with his face buried against Axel's chest and Axel merely happy to be in the other's company even if it was during a bad time. He had finished his ice cream a while ago and he was content on chewing the little wooden stick._

"_Are we friends?"_

_Roxas hadn't said anything in such a long time, Axel wasn't sure if he had heard right._

"_Huh?" the redhead asked. "What's that?"_

"_Are we friends?" Roxas repeated. He pulled his face away from Axel's chest and he looked up at the redhead with his wide, beautiful blue eyes._

_Axel laughed and he squeezed the other close. "We'll _always_ be friends, Roxy." He was momentarily surprised when Roxas stuck his pinkie out and wiggled it at him. "Um…"_

"_Pinkie promise?"_

_Axel smiled and latched his pinkie around Roxas' own. "Pinkie promise."_

_

* * *

_

**A/N**: Holy shit! I managed to bang this out (hah bang) in no time and I even got it beta-edited (woohoo! Thank you, **Aindel S. Druida** for reading over 29,000 words. What a trooper!).

Chapter 9 is almost all written too. I also managed to write a 16,000 word Christmas one-shot about Demyx and Zexion. Holy crap! 16,000 words? My eyes are still bleeding. But hooray for Zemyx! Hooray for holidays! Hooray for ridiculous amounts of writing taking place over the course of Christmas break! Hooray for progress!

Let me say something else:  
Dear Avid Readers,  
I really, really appreciate everyone's analysis of the story. Analysis is one of the finer parts about reading and I love how everyone has an opinion about something that's occurring within the story. Please do not stop doing this.  
Love, FK

Chapter 9 will be posted soon (erm like… beginning of January and I mean it this time). Thank you for reading. Thank you for reviewing. Thank you for favoriting. Thank you for alerting.  
Thank you, again, **Aindel S. Druida **for being a fabulous editor. She is also a fabulous writer so please check out her stories!  
Merry Christmas (err… Happy Holidays), dear readers.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Toastyoats: **I know the feeling. Trying to find a half decent story is synonymous with playing hide and seek with an invisible man. You might find him, but it's probably going to take a while. I'm glad I could make this nice and easy for you. I'm also glad I could make you gurgle. That's hot. :]

**TheAnnoyingVoice: **This chapter isn't too humorous either. I find that I have to be manic to write humor and depressed to write drama. Seldom do I get a concoction that fits both. Hence this chapter's lack of humor too. Argh!  
I have to say your reviews are awesome. You always have so much to say which is fantastic. Also, you're generally spot-on with what you say. I read your reviews and I go "YES. OH MY GOSH. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY!" and it makes me want to pat you on the back for making me feel super.  
Writing the RikuxRoxas flashback scenes are lots of fun. I would love to do more 'aww-worthy' stuff between Axel and Roxas, but I don't want to do something that puts a hitch in the plot later on. I also want the moment Axel and Roxas get together to be satisfying. It's a slow build up, but once it happens it's appreciated much more than it would have been.  
I haaate making Riku seem like a pimp. I also feel like because his parents weren't there for him (or had no control over him), he kind of has a certain longing for the loving touch of a mother and the strong hand of a father. I think, on some level, Riku wants someone to tell him what to do. I think he likes being bossed around a little bit (but not a lot. I think a lot of bossing him around would just irritate him).  
I looked into the Demyx x Zexion pairing and I really like it. I like it so much more than Axel x Demyx. :] They are super cute together and now I'm really excited to push them together. Again, though, I have to be patient so I don't ruin my plot building. Argh, plot! Speaking of… I think Leon is going to have a nice chunk of space in chapter 10. Zexion drops some vital information about Leon so I think it's time he shows back up.

**Usuilove21: **Argh! I hate it when I write something I _really _don't like, but then I feel the need to post it anyway. Some of the chapters of this story still leave me going "ehh, I could've changed this or that…" but I guess that's just one of the challenges of writing online. Once it's up, it's up, and your plot can't deviate much from what you've already said. I hope your study of French and Japanese are going well. Anyone who tries to better themselves by learning another language is my kind of friend.

**Bruised anatomy: **Aww. You're so cute. I love this review to pieces. At first I thought this was a grammar critique because I was REALLY unsure about all those commas in the first sentence (still really unsure about them), but then it wasn't. It was just the cutest review ever. :]

**Reku14: **I changed the plot somewhat. I've decided to take a different route with the whole Roxas-Mom thing. I mulled it over for a while and came upon the conclusion that Roxas' bad behavior would be better explained if he and his mom were… Well, you'll see.  
Yea. Roxas is one of my favorites too. I'm still tinkering with the Roxas-Riku relationship. It's fun to use them to create drama, but I really don't want them to be hated anymore than they already are.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Why Roxas hates Axel is definitely going to be coming up in Chapter 9. I was writing the flashback scenes and I was like "you know… why DOES Roxas hate Axel?" and I'm sure somewhere in the beginning it says "he hates Axel because Axel is a pompous douche" (which is true), but I'm going to have a much more concrete reason. I promise.

**Vithian: **I actually pushed this chapter out in part to appease you. :D So be appeased. And you're right. No good mom would tell her kid to steal her other kid's boyfriend. That's just all sorts of fucked up. You pose a good point about Kairi. Hahahaha. I like your thought process.

**Jezzaanne: **Thank you. The personalities are difficult. I'm always super unsure about them because I read other stories where Roxas is naïve (and usually really stupid which… I don't get) and Axel is like "hey kids! Wanna get raped? Come with meeeee!" and I… have to wonder if maybe, somewhere down the line, I totally misread Axel. I'm more of a fan of Axel x Roxas too. The Axel x Demyx is in there for plot reasons.  
Axel's fables are actually going to be a big deal soon. And not in the "oh, yay, Axel gets published" kind of big deal, but in the "I hate you so much. Take your fables and shove them up your butt" kind of deal. You can take a guess at who's telling him to shove his fables up his bum (hint: It's not Roxas). Enjoy the mystery!  
And hey! Thank you! Merry Christmas to you too!

**Blah**: I'm… actually having this same problem too. I really only feel badly for Naminé. It makes it really hard to write for everyone else because I wanna tell everyone else to go suck a fuck.

**Aindel S. Druida: **Yaaay. You get to read more words. Sorry for making you read so much. I probably owe you some kind of compensation for your next eye appointment with your neighborhood eye doctor.  
On the upside, yes. This will all happen in due time. It wouldn't be a mock fairy tale if it didn't have that good old fashioned "happily ever after."

**iLoli: **The fables are a bitch to write. It's the shortness of them that gets me. I suck at explaining things in only a few sentences. And you're not reading too much into it. You're hitting the nail on the head, dear reader.

**Foxzees: **BAHAHAHAHA. I love this review. It reminds me of that Korean movie called _The Host_. Freakish things _do_ come out of polluted water. And sure – fire away. I love suggestions and ideas. I notice people give them to me constantly without meaning too and it's just great.

**StarzXAndXMoon: **You're totally right. I hadn't really noticed the connection until I started writing the flashbacks. Roxas IS the other women in Axel and Demyx's relationship just like he was in Riku and Sora's. Funny how history repeats itself.  
Writing this story is actually quite a bit of fun. However, this is one of those few times I find myself rewriting every single chapter two to four times over. That's pretty awful.

**JustSayNoToPants: **There is a ridiculous amount of drama in this story. I'm not even really sure how to resolve all of it! There's so much going on and it's kind of… overwhelming. It also kind of makes you hate everyone involved. :P BUT YES – there is a major explosion lurking on the horizon. There's so much deceit going on here, so many secrets, and sososo many lies. There's definitely going to be a smack down (and I'm so excited!).

**Catch the Stillicide: **I love your pseudonym. I don't know why, but I really like it a lot.  
I hope your head doesn't explode when I give a little more life to the quadruplet's mother. She's pretty awful and you'll see the last of her in Chapter 9. And yes – Roxas is a boyfriend stealer. It was completely unintentional to set up both stories that way. I didn't even notice that until I was writing the flashbacks and I was like "…wow, whoops." But I guess once a boyfriend stealer, always a boyfriend stealer? Roxas kind of strikes me as someone who only really wants something once he can't have it anymore.  
I agree. Roxas is difficult to portray believably. I often find him in other stories as overly naïve and ready to cry at the tiniest instances. I actually try to be really careful about having Roxas cry because I think it's out of character for him. I think he's extremely stubborn and strong-willed and I think tears have to be forced out of him. I don't like the whole Roxas persona of "oh, he's so naïve and innocent and he'll pout and cry if he spills milk" because that just isn't true. Roxas would probably swear, clean it up, and then decide the milk is stupid and he just won't drink any at all.

**Michi: **Hahahaha. I love this review because I feel like I'm being patted on the back for making you feel all squirmy and uncomfortable. I have to say… I'm actually having a hard time making the Riku x Sora pairing work. I never meant to make it that way, but… ungh. I can't seem to undo it now. And I do want them to end up together in the end (this is supposed to be a mock fairytale), but I can't justify it. It does kind of seem like Riku was all "oh, you don't love me Roxas? Ugh, fine… Where's Sora?" and I really don't know how to make it… not like that. But I guess we'll see what happens. :]

**Anonymoosefangirl: **Yea. That would be really creepy. A room like that would be really bad for breaking dates back to. "Oh, hey, just push that box out of the way. That's my dead mother's old hair and toenail clippings." I don't think it's quite that bad in Roxas' room, but that would be… pretty bad.

**: **Aww. You're sweet. Thanks a lot. I'm still amazed that people actually read this thing in one sitting. Each chapter is like… 20-25 pages. I guess that's like a normal book, but… argh! That's so many words!

**Xacilia: **Woohoo! I don't enjoy the fairy tale reads either. I also don't enjoy the overly dark ones where all the horrible shit that COULD happen to someone actually does. If you want to play it dark, lighten it up with a bit of humor and a smile. I'm really glad you're just as happy as Axel. I try and convey everything so it's… powerful, I guess? So you can feel it and be just as uncomfortable as the characters in the story? I don't know. I feel like a lot of stories have zero emotion behind them and it bothers me. Part of what makes something good is the amount of emotion put into it.  
Awww… Happy Holidays (Merry Christmas?) to you too.

**Casaragi: **I'm so glad you liked it! I'm also glad you decided to get some sleep! I've had people review before who have stayed up all night reading. That's cute, but then I feel badly for helping people _not_ sleep.

**Kiramizu: **I've always seen Roxas as brooding. I never meant to make him out as a mama's boy, but somehow it happened. I think that kind of works for him though because he's all hard on the outside, but on the inside, he's all gooey with love (that sounds really gross). I'm glad you like the fables. They are ridiculously challenging to write. Aesop must've had a LOT of free time on his hands (which is… kind of ridiculous considering he was a slave).

**Miyuki-ice-fox: **I didn't know people talked about fan fiction with their friends. Then again, I didn't know people talked about _books_ with their friends either unless it was required (like… an English assignment or a book club). I like how everyone is kind of split on the whole Roxas-Riku-Sora drama. Some people dislike all three of them, some think it's Riku's fault, some think it's Roxas' fault, and some think they're all just a bunch of sluts and whores. That's just the greatest.

**Superkawaiifreak: **Wow. This is like… the nicest review ever. It made me blush and it dissolved my fears of things I may be doing wrong. Given the length of each chapter, I'm forced to go "argh, is there too much going on?" and I'm mortified of leaving loose ends everywhere. I'm really bad at tying things together nicely. I really appreciate this review.  
I think this is one of my only (or at least one of my very, very, _very_ few) stories that isn't written in first person. I write in first person because I feel it's extremely hard to convey emotion effectively in third person. One of my biggest **things** about stories (fan fiction or just books in general) is feeling like the character does. I want the reader to feel Axel's embarrassment or Roxas' hopelessness or Riku's anxiety about Sora. I feel like it gives the story much more depth because then you're sort of… _involved _in it. You cease to be detached and become attached to the members of the story. That's really important in creating an effective atmosphere.  
I find my voice is better left on paper. Matter-of-fact wittiness doesn't exactly play out well in real life because it comes off as douchebaggery. It's really hard not transferring the douchebaggery-ness to Axel or Roxas or Riku or Sora. Sometimes I just want Axel to be like "hey, yea. Go fuck yourself" but then I'm like "UGH. But he wouldn't do that to Roxas. Poop" and then it's rewrite-rewrite-rewrite until my fingers bleed. My grammar errors are usually caught by a beta, but you're right. I'm so spazzed out about getting the chapter out, I'm like "NO. BETA. GO AWAY."  
I hope Gumption comes in strawberry flavor. Oh, wow, okay. Apparently gumption is a real word. Well, hot damn. I guess you learn something new every day. Thanks for reviewing, SKF, and thanks for making me feel absolutely splendid.

**TheOneYouCallWe: **Your eyes must be bleeding. Lucky you, an update came today! So hooray for more bleeding retinas! This story is FILLED to the brim with drama. What's ridiculous is I seem to be in the same boat as everyone else. I hate Roxas, but then I feel bad for him and then I'm totally fucked up about how I feel about Riku. I'm the author. I shouldn't feel that way. I should know my own plot well enough to know the redemption song for each character. But I don't. Because I'm lazy. ]:


	9. He Receives the Bad News

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Hooooraaaay!  
11,000 words. Please stop reading if your eyes begin to bleed.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

IX – He Receives the Bad News

_**Things didn't get **__much better as the summer progressed. Roxas, who had been looking forward to spending time with Axel, was somewhat heartbroken to learn the redhead was going out to California for most of the summer to meet up with his real mom. He had said something about how Roxas had sparked his interest and he kind of wanted to know who she was._

_Roxas hoped she was every bit as nice as Axel. He didn't want the older boy to come back feeling badly and hating Roxas just as much as everyone else seemed to._

_His mother had finally returned home in mid-August and before she even had time to unpack her things, Roxas was upon her. Normally they would talk on the phone when she was on business and whenever she was around, she would spend the majority of her time with him. However she had been doing her best to avoid Roxas and he noticed it._

_But now she was home and he had his chance to pounce. So he went into her room, sat on the edge of her bed, and watched as she removed her jewelry from her ears, her neck, her wrists, and fingers. She pulled her hair out of the bun it had been it and watched as it cascaded about her shoulders. There was something different about her. Something Roxas didn't like._

"_Mom."_

_She didn't respond._

"_Mom, I need to talk to you."_

_She sighed gently._

"_Mom!" Roxas growled._

"_Oh, Roxas, can't it wait?" she asked. "I just got home and I'd like to relax before we deal with the drama that seems to always plague your life."_

_He was stung by her words. Stung by the fact that she had just called him Roxas instead of Roxy and stung that she seemed bothered by what he might have to say. He gripped the blanket on the edge of the bed and shifted uncomfortably in his spot._

"_It can't wait," he said evenly._

"_Goodness." She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it? If you're here to tell me about what you did to your brother's relationship –"_

"_What _I _did?" he yelled._

"_Don't interrupt!" she yelled back._

_Roxas' eyes went wide. She had never even so much as taken a harsh tone with him before and now… And now this. He swallowed thickly and tried to keep his composure. He didn't like where this was going, but he had no one to talk to. She had always been his rock and now she was… She was crumbling beneath him._

"_Sora has already explained to me what's occurred. I can't say I'm totally surprised given Riku's character, but you... To say the least, I'm shocked."_

"_You told me to intervene!" he cried._

_She laughed mirthlessly. "I said no such thing."_

_Roxas' mouth fell open in shock and he tried to form a sentence, but he couldn't. He couldn't even manage a single word as she stood there, as ugly as he had ever seen her, with her face hard and her arms crossed looking just as deadly as his siblings._

"_I never expected you to wreck their relationship. It's perfectly okay to be jealous, Roxas, but it's something entirely different to go and throw yourself at your brother's boyfriend. Do you not think of anyone but yourself?"_

_Roxas stared._

"_Honestly, I thought I raised you better. I'm not surprised that your siblings are all treating you this way. Did you really think things would work out between yourself and Riku? Were you really so stupid to think that he wasn't just using you?" she asked coldly._

"_B-but…" His mouth had gone very dry. "But you said –"_

"_Roxas, I will not tolerate your stories."_

_He was stunned. He was completely stunned and he was searching his memory for all the talks they had. In the park, in her room, when she had been sweet and loving… Those memories were there in his head, but they seemed to be gone from her mind._

"_Please leave," she barked. "I would like to relax."_

_He was too shocked to say or do much else. He was too hurt to do anything but leave and it was only when he left that he realized she had used him. For what, he didn't know, but she had used him and now he really _was_ alone. He was separated from his siblings, his mother, his disinterested father…_

_It was now Roxas also realized he couldn't place partial blame on his mother._

_So he did something else. He did something rash and something stupid. He ran to his and Sora's room and told Sora that Naminé knew. That Naminé knew everything. He told Sora that she had walked in on him and Riku and she decided _not_ to tell._

_He sold Naminé out and he didn't know why._

••••••••••••••

_**School had begun **__again and the only change that had occurred was now Naminé was an outsider like Roxas. It was Sora and Kairi together and then Roxas and then Naminé. Their mother, who Roxas had become extremely wary of, had gone back to her sweet looks, her sweet words, and general sweet way. He didn't want to fall prey so he ignored her as best he could and tried to concentrate on something else, something different._

_Axel had come back from California with a tan, a smile, and photographs of himself with his mom. She looked just like him. She had the same red hair, the same smile, and the same gorgeous jade eyes. They even had the same kind of build and Axel had been rather excited to show Roxas the photographs one day after school._

"_Was she nice?" Roxas asked as Axel watched him flip through the stack of photos._

"_Yea, she's great."_

"_Did she tell you why she gave you up?"_

_Axel shrugged. "Crack."_

_Roxas looked startled. "She gave you up for crack?"_

"_No, no," the redhead said quickly. "Social services took me because she was doing crack. She's clean now." Axel laughed a little bit and took the stack of photos from Roxas when he offered them back. He didn't realize it, but the blond had opted to keep one of the pictures. Just one of Axel standing on the beach, shirtless and grinning and holding a surfboard._

"_How was your summer?" Axel asked as he slipped the photos into his shoulder bag. He began to walk to his car and Roxas followed. "Must've been pretty boring without me," he teased._

_Roxas shrugged. "A little," he admitted. "But it…" He didn't know what to say. Should he tell Axel it was awful? Tell him it was the most horrible summer he'd ever experienced? Share every little detail and secret with the redhead?_

_No._

_No. They were just friends. Barely friends at that and Roxas didn't think it appropriate to burden Axel with his horror stories._

"_It…?" the redhead asked in an attempt to coax it out of Roxas._

"_Uh, sorry. It was just… It was okay…"_

_Axel frowned. "What happened?"_

"_Nothing, I… I just… Guy trouble," he concluded._

"_Is it that Riku guy again?" He frowned. "That guy is such a douche. I swear –"_

"_Don't worry about it," Roxas interrupted. "He's not worth the trouble…"_

_Axel rolled his eyes, but let the subject drop. He knew Riku and Roxas hated each other and it never occurred to him to ask why. He was just happy to accept the fact that the blond wasn't infatuated with someone else. Axel liked him and knowing there was no competition made him feel better about how little they talked or hung out._

"_Give me a ride home?" Roxas asked once they reached Axel's car. He didn't want to ride the bus with his siblings._

"_Roxy," Axel purred, "what kind of man would I be if I _didn't_ give you a ride?"_

"_You'd be a man with one less friend."_

_Roxas smiled. Axel felt his heart beat uncomfortably in his chest._

••••••••••••••

_**He knew it **__was a terrible idea, but that didn't stop him from executing his plan of attack. Roxas had spent the last three or four weeks sulking and his usual air of playfulness seemed to have disappeared. Axel assumed his behavior was because of Riku and the sadder Roxas acted, the angrier Axel found himself getting. It wasn't Roxas that was bothering him. It was the fact that it was _clearly_ Riku that was causing him to act so unlike himself._

"_Why do you care?" Axel asked one day before school. They were sitting in the common area waiting for the first bell to ring so they could go to class._

"_I don't know," Roxas mumbled. "I don't want to care. He just… He bothers me."_

_They both watched as Riku walked by them. He didn't glance at either of them, but it was clear he was doing his best to ignore at least Roxas. He was staring straight ahead like a robot, his eyes transfixed on nothing, and when he walked past Sora and Kairi, he greeted their mean, accusing looks with saddened eyes._

_Roxas sighed._

"_Ooh," Axel said. "I get it."_

"_Get what?" He frowned._

"_He did something to your brother? Or your sister? Is that why you hate him? Is that why he hates you? I remember last year when you guys were in that fistfight."_

_Roxas looked away. "Not… Not exactly…"_

_Axel raised a brow and Roxas pretended not to notice the look he was being given. The first bell rang and the blond muttered "see you later" before quickly disappearing into a crowd of students. This was getting ridiculous. Axel couldn't let all this go unpunished._

_He was going to kick Riku's ass. There was no time to come up with some awesome form of revenge or some excellent, well-crafted comeback. In this case, violence was the most effective and quickest form of retribution. Once Riku was beaten, Roxas would go back to acting normal._

_He knew what lunch period Riku had and he made the decision to skip class to seek the other boy out. Obviously, this kid did something to rub Roxas the wrong way. Axel was generally extremely indirect about his anger, but this was different. He wasn't angry, Roxas was. This act of violence was completely justified._

_Riku stood at his locker, shoving textbooks into it when Axel approached him. He was going to beat Riku down. He was going to bust this guy's face up. He was going to make him sorry he ever –_

"_Hey, cool. We're wearing the same shirt," Riku stated amicably. He had closed his locker door and turned around and Axel, who had been scheming various ways to punch his face in, hadn't noticed him standing there until he had spoken._

"_What?"_

"_Our shirts." Riku grabbed the edges of his shirt and pulled it down somewhat so the design stretched. "We're both wearing Vampire Weekend shirts. Are you going to their show next month?"_

_Axel stared. They _were_ wearing the same shirt and he _was_ going to the show next month. He paused and immediately began to debate whether or not he should knock this guy's lights out._

"_Uh… If you're going, we should go together. It'll be fun."_

_Free ride to a concert? Fuck it. He'd kick Riku's ass _after_ the concert._

"_Yea, that sounds great." Axel smiled. "I'm Axel." He extended his hand for the other to shake._

"_Yea, I know." Riku shook his hand. "I'm Riku… You're Roxas' friend, right?"_

_How was Axel supposed to know they would become best friend?_

••••••••••••••

_**By December first **__Roxas had become fed up with his siblings and their total lack of care for him. His mother, who refused to talk about Riku and Roxas' relationship, had tried other ways to connect with her son, but he was now fearful of her. He was scared of what she might do next. She had abused his trust and now he was afraid to say anything to her._

_He tried to talk to Naminé about this, but she ignored him. She had listened (or, well, she had sat there drawing while Roxas talked), which was more than Kairi or Sora had done. They usually got up and left the room when Roxas came in. The blond would sometimes wonder how Riku was faring against the silent treatment._

_It had really annoyed him to find out Riku and Axel were friends. Not _just_ friends, but _best friends _and Roxas had stopped spending so much time with Axel, generally because Riku was around. He wasn't sure why the older boy had befriended Axel, but Roxas was pretty sure it had very little to do with himself. Riku and Roxas weren't anything anymore. Not even people who knew each other._

"_I'm leaving tomorrow…" she said. "Will you miss me?"_

_Roxas leaned against the wall in her bedroom and didn't say anything. Her suitcase was on the bed and she was going away on a long business trip. She wouldn't be back until the 22__nd__ or so and Roxas tried not to let this bother him. His mother was not the person he had once adored. She was some kind of snake. Some kind of wolf in sheep's clothing._

"_Roxy?" She pushed a few clothes into place in her suitcase and frowned. "When will you stop being so angry?"_

"_When you stop pretending like you didn't tell me to go after Riku," he answered coldly._

_Her eyes went somewhat wide and she rounded on him. "I told you we weren't going to talk about that anymore."_

"_Why?" he asked. "Why would you say those things to me if –"_

"_Stop it," she snapped. "It does not matter what happened. The point is simply this: you did something awful to your brother. Regardless of what I said, you acted of your own free will. I did not force you or make you. I merely said what I thought would be best and if you chose to take my advice, then all the blame falls on you."_

_Roxas' stared at her. She was repugnant. All the make-up, all the jewels, all the clothing and stylish hair… Nothing could make her beautiful. She was rotten to the core and Roxas found this frightening. She was abusing him. She was using him. She was turning this all around on him and he didn't know how to make it stop._

"_Now that the blame has been appropriately placed, will you stop being so difficult and go back to being my favorite?"_

_This infuriated him and before he could stop himself the words were out of his mouth._

"_You're a bitch!"_

_She struck him hard across the face and then grabbed his shoulders. "You will _not_ speak to me that way, Roxas. Maybe I've spoiled you. Maybe you never should have been the favorite. You –"_

"_I hate you."_

_She looked hurt. Her grip on his shoulders slackened and then she released him completely. She brushed a bit of hair back from her face and she was blushing. His mother was embarrassed._

"_I'm sorry you feel that way," she mumbled._

_Roxas was angry. He was so angry about everything that had happened. About his mother and her betrayal of his trust, about Riku and Sora, about what he had _done_ to Sora, about Axel and Riku becoming friends… He was so angry and this was all her fault. Everything could be traced back to her and her games._

"_No, I mean it," he spat. "I hate you. I hate you so much. You did this to me and now… now _everyone _hates me. My siblings hate me, Riku hates me, you obviously… I don't think you even _care_ enough to hate me…" He took a shaky breath. "I hope you don't come back."_

_She fingered her necklace nervously and when she spoke, her voice sounded strained. "That's… That's fine. You're entitled to feel any which way you want."_

_Roxas met her eyes and she quickly looked away. Her fingers fell away from her neck and she clasped her hands together. He stared at her, waited for her to apologize or at least show some sign of remorse, but nothing happened. They stood there, locked in silence, until Roxas sighed and removed himself from her room._

_How could she be such a monster? How?_

••••••••••••••

_**Before she left **__to go to the airport, she had gone into Roxas and Sora's room. It was five in the morning and her flight left out at seven. She crept into the dark room and made her way quietly over to Roxas' bed._

"_Roxy…" she whispered and then gave him a small shake._

_He opened his eyes and felt overwhelmed when he saw her above him._

"_I love you," she whispered._

_Roxas didn't say anything._

"_You… you really are my favorite."_

_He turned his back to her and ignored the horrible, awful shame that dripped down his chest and into his stomach. He shut his eyes tight and gripped his blankets to him and he heard her sigh softly before pressing a kiss to his head._

"_There are things you don't understand. I hope you can forgive me."_

_Maybe he could, but the time certainly wasn't now. She breathed another soft sigh and then left the room just as quietly as she had come in. Had he known this was the last time he was going to see her, things would've been different. Had he known she wasn't going to come back he would have forgiven her on the spot and reclaimed his place as her son._

_As the favorite._

_How could he be such a monster? How?_

••••••••••••••

"**Happy New Year."**

Zexion yawned and glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was exactly midnight on December 31st and he and Demyx had chosen to spend the New Year holiday together. They had both gone to their respective homes for Christmas, but made a promise to come back early so they could spend time together. Demyx had barely spoken to Axel. He had sent him an ominous "we need to talk after break" text before the holiday and Axel had merely responded "yea, I figured."

Demyx didn't know what had happened. Zexion refused to say and he continued to deny the existence of anything going on between Axel and Roxas. He had also refused to talk about it with his blond best friend. It was just a subject that didn't sit well with him.

"I hate peanut M&M's…" Zexion mumbled as he watched Demyx put one in his mouth and suck on it.

"Why?" the musician asked. They were seated on Demyx's bed, the television on mute, and all the lights off. "Is it the peanut?"

"No," Zexion replied. "It's the M&M part. I don't like the candy coating or the chocolate."

Demyx stared. "…How do you not like chocolate?"

Zexion shrugged. "I'm not a fan of sweets."

The blond took the peanut from his mouth. He had sucked all the candy coating and chocolate off it and he offered it to Zexion who just kind of looked at him. He seemed to be stuck between disgust and fascination and Demyx was smiling like a cat that had just killed a bird as a gift for its owner.

"Eat it. It's just the peanut. I got rid of the nasty stuff."

Zexion's eyes narrowed a little. "But it was in your mouth. And now it's covered in your spit."

Demyx shrugged. "You used to chew gum after me."

"Yes, and you purposefully gave me the flu because you didn't want to be sick by yourself."

The blond sighed. "I'm not sick. Just eat it."

Zexion debated this for a few moments. He sincerely doubted the peanut was harboring some horrible disease and he had a feeling it would taste better after it had been in his best friend's mouth. Things _always_ tasted better to Zexion after they had been in Demyx's mouth. He didn't know why and all logic and reason told him it was his imagination, but that didn't stop him from eating or drinking after Demyx. It didn't stop him from sharing lollipops with Demyx.

He reached out and plucked the peanut from his best friend's hand. He hesitantly put it in his mouth and sucked on it briefly before crunching it and deciding that it _did_ taste much better than an average M&M peanut. It tasted…

"Well?" Demyx smiled.

"It tastes like your mouth," Zexion concluded. "Mm, actually, it tastes more like… If you had eaten a spoonful of peanut butter and then kissed me."

"Sounds delicious," he replied.

They sat there for a moment in silence just staring at each other and enjoying one another's presence. This was the first time in a long time Demyx wasn't heavily distracted by Axel. This was the first time Zexion had seem his best friend really happy. He didn't know _what_ Axel did to Demyx, but whatever it was, it was awful.

"Hey." Demyx broke the silence between them and proceeded to lay his head in Zexion's lap. "Tell me you love me."

The shorter boy immediately reached down and began brushing Demyx's blond hair from his face. He was so handsome, so charming, and worth so much more than Axel would ever know. The world was so unfair sometimes. Here Zexion was, dying to be with his best friend and then there was Axel, selfish with two blond, blue-eyed boys hanging off his arms.

"I love you." Zexion brushed his fingers gently against Demyx's cheek. "I love you so much, Demy."

Demyx wasn't really sure how or why it happened. He just sat up and kissed Zexion. He just sat up and made their lips lock. He just locked eyes with the other and knew that they should kiss, that they should be intimate, that they should be more than just friends. Because no one had told Demyx "I love you" the way Zexion did. No one had ever meant it more deeply than Zexion.

Their tongues collided. Demyx pushed his slate haired friend down onto the bed and slipped his hands underneath his t-shirt. He felt Zexion's hands tangle in his hair and yank, gently, at the blond locks. Every touch of their tongues sent an electric shock through Demyx's body. Every yank of hair, every tender touch, every soft moan of his name… It caused the blonde's hair to stand on end. It caused goose bumps to line his skin.

"Your boyfriend…" Demyx heard Zexion breathe as he kissed and nipped a fine line all along his neck. "A-Axel…"

"Jeez…" He stopped his musings just long enough to remove his shirt and toss it somewhere onto the floor. "You _hate _Axel and yet you're worried about him?"

Zexion looked at Demyx and remembered that his best friend deserved someone better than Axel. He slipped his arms around the blonde's neck and yanked him down for a hot, sloppy kiss. A kiss that Demyx couldn't help but laugh into because seeing Zexion kind of furious while also hot and bothered made him smile.

"I'm just worried about you," Zexion answered honestly. "I don't want you to feel badly in the morning. I don't want our friendship to be ruined –"

"Nothing could ruin what we have, Zexy."

The intensity with which Demyx looked at him made Zexion believe every word that came out of his perfect mouth.

••••••••••••••

"**Jesus. This is **harder than it looks…" Axel gripped the controller in his hand and tried to carefully follow what the woman on the TV screen was doing. He tried to follow the ridiculous dance moves, the beat of the ridiculous song, and the harder he tried to be fluid, the more points he lost. "Goddamnit. How the fuck are you managing this?" He glanced over at Riku and his expression turned sour when he realized his best friend had almost 3,000 points more than he did.

"Just follow the beat." Riku swung his hips. "Be as gay as possible. Shouldn't be too hard for you."

Axel shoved Riku and smiled in victory when the other's score dropped somewhat. "Gay as Possible Axel wants you to know that he doesn't like losing and that he'll resort to cheating to win."

Riku's eyes narrowed and he shoved Axel back.

"You dick! I'm already losing!" The redhead stumbled, but tried to quickly regain his composure. Why he had said "okay" when Riku asked him if he wanted to play _Just Dance_, he didn't know. He was horrible at this. He had never considered himself a bad dancer, but this game was definitely saying different.

"Well, Gay as Possible Riku doesn't like cheaters."

"Oh, the irony…"

Both stopped dancing and turned their attention to Roxas. He was standing in the doorway, his thin frame leaned against the wall, and he had his arms crossed over his chest. He looked better. When he had left, he had been somewhat of a mess. But now he was back to his normal behavior, his normal routine, and his normal treatment of the people around him. He seemed to be at least _trying _to play nice. Axel had noticed a difference anyway.

"Want to play?" Axel slipped the controller from his wrist and practically threw it at Roxas. "Cheeseburger thinks he's the Queen of Dance."

"Okay, first of all, fuck you," Riku growled. "Second of all, I _am_ the Queen of Dance. I can't help it that your dancing style involves rubbing your crotch on some prepubescent kid's ass in some skank-o night club."

"There's some information I could've gone the rest of my life without knowing…" Roxas mumbled as he slipped the controller onto his wrist and walked over to Riku. "What do you do?"

"Just follow the moves on screen," he explained. "A third grader could do it."

"That explains Axel's trouble."

The redhead slouched back into the couch and gave both of them dirty looks. His arms crossed over his chest and he watched as they picked a song (after a few moments of arguing) and began to dance. They were pretty evenly matched. Both of them could manage to score around the same points, but there was something in the way Roxas danced that sparked Axel's interest.

His body was much more fluid than Riku's own. He was able to swing his hips without moving his upper body in the same circular motion. He was able to follow the beat perfectly. He could dance and Axel wanted to take full advantage of this at some point.

"I didn't know Zombies could dance," Axel said from the couch.

"You should see him and Sora dance together. _That's _nice," Riku stated.

Roxas gave the older boy a disgusted look, "You're gross."

"Okay, fine." He rolled his eyes. "You should _not_ see him and Sora dance together. It's nasty and weird."

Roxas glared. "You're a dick."

"Yea, I've heard that."

Axel laughed and watched as both boys continued to follow the patterns on screen. Winter break seemed to be the perfect medicine for everyone in the duplex. Roxas' behavior toward Axel had been different. He seemed more intent on being the redhead's friend over his boyfriend. His bouts of sadness or irritation were more controlled. There was no "leave me alone" or "go away," but something closer to "I'm really not feeling well today. Can we talk later?"

It was odd. Axel had been caught off guard by it, but he knew better than to question it. Roxas _was_ trying. That's what mattered.

••••••••••••••

"**I really don't **feel like I should be tagging along."

"You're not," Axel insisted. "You work at the bakery. You're going in to… count muffins or something."

Riku sighed and shook his head. He and Axel walked through the foot of snow with their hands in the pockets of their winter coats. They had scarves wrapped around their necks, snow boots on their feet, and hats on their heads. The snow had been relentless and it showed no signs of letting up. Even when it wasn't snowing, the sky was overcast and the temperature was well below freezing. Axel hated the snow. He wasn't fond of cold weather to begin with.

"Demyx wants to have a _private_ chat with you. Don't you think me going along will upset him?" Riku asked.

"Not as much as Roxas tagging along."

"Axel." Riku stopped in his tracks and heard the redhead sighed loudly. "Demyx probably knows about you and Roxas. Hasn't that occurred to you?"

"Yea!" he answered honestly. "Why do you think I want you to come along? I'm going to need someone to carry me home after Demyx castrates me with a –"

A snowball exploded into pieces when it collided with the side of Axel's face. Riku was torn between looking shocked and laughing. Small bits of snow dripped down the redhead's face and neck and the melted water mingled with the fabric of his red scarf. He reached up, wiped the majority of the snow from his face, and then glared hotly at Riku.

"What the hell, Cheeseburger?"

Riku didn't answer. He was caught in a fit of laughter, but his laughter quickly ended when he, too, was pelted with a snowball. He looked every bit as pissed as Axel and he reached up and wiped the icy mess from his face. Both boys looked at each other and then immediately began to look around for who had assaulted them.

"Sora and Roxas maybe?" Riku asked as he bent down and began to scoop up snow and ice.

"No," Axel said as he mimicked his best friend's actions. "This has Zexion and Demyx written all over it."

"Oh, Jesus Ch—" He was cut off when another snowball was lobbed at him. This one hit him square in the face.

Axel stood. He gripped the snowball tightly in his hand and ignored the mumbled curse words that left Riku's lips as he wiped the snow from his face. His face was red from being hit. He looked extremely mad and when he stood, he threw a snowball, hard, at Axel.

The redhead glared as the snow hit his shoulder and broke into pieces. "I'm on your side, Cheeseburger!"

"This is _your_ fault!" He reached down and scooped up more snow. "I'm out in this horrible weather being pelted with snowballs because you and your stupid boyfriend have problems!"

Axel looked extremely indignant. "Are you serious? I've gotten the backend of _everyone's_ shit because you and Roxas and Sora can't manage to just be honest with each other and work things out! I barely know anything about your history and, somehow, I keep ending up –"

Riku silenced him with a snowball. "How ironic. The guy cheating on his boyfriend is telling _me_ to be honest."

There was a momentary pause between them; a second where they locked eyes and stood there glaring at one another. And then Axel tackled Riku into the snow. He had no _real_ intention of hurting his best friend. Axel wasn't really someone who solved his problems by hitting. Granted, Riku _would_ deserve it. Being pelted with snowballs was one thing, but being stuck in a house with three boys and a giant elephant was so much worse.

"At least I can _keep_ a boyfriend!" Axel yelled. He gripped the front of Riku's jacket and glared at his best friend. "You can't even be _friends _with Sora without massive dram –"

Shock crossed both their features. Riku had just struck Axel. The worst fight they had ever been in was way back when they had first moved into the duplex. They had never been in a fistfight though. They barely made physical contact with each other unless it was in a playful manner. Blood dripped from Axel's nose and Riku, still underneath the redhead, just stared.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't –"

Axel didn't care. He raised his fist and began to strike the other. He had been provoked. Hitting was now justified. It didn't matter that it was Riku, his best friend, underneath him. It didn't matter that it was Riku's blood staining his white mittens. It didn't matter that they were in the snow, spreading their blood everywhere and fighting like kids still in high school.

Axel was momentarily surprised when their positions suddenly switched and Riku was on top of him and beating _him_ up. He had always been taller, a little more athletic, a little more intimidating… Riku had always been the Robin to his Batman because Axel had always been a little more developed. But now here they were, Riku asserting his dominance over Axel. Riku showing Axel he was stronger.

"Shut up!" Riku yelled. "You don't know anything about me or Sora!" He had stopped hitting because Axel's face looked good and bloody. He gripped the redhead's coat and yanked him up slightly. "Just stop messing up my life! Stop dragging me into your problems!"

The redhead swatted his best friend's hands away from him and then reached up to wipe away the blood on his face. He mistakenly just spread the blood and tears immediately filled his eyes when he touched the bridge of his nose. Was it broken? Had Riku successfully managed to land a punch dire enough to fuck up his nose?

"I'm serious, Axel!" he yelled. "I'm sick and tired of you!"

He reached up and shoved Riku roughly off him. Axel stood immediately and spit blood into the snow.

"Now you're just not going to say _anything_?" Riku yelled as his stood up. He wiped the snow from his pants and ignored the swelling that was taking place under his right eye.

"What do you want me to say?" the redhead yelled. He reached out and grabbed the front of his best friend's jacket. "I can't even defend myself! It doesn't matter _whose_ fault it is because, somehow, I'm the one that keeps getting shit for it!" Axel pushed him and watched, with some pleasure, as Riku stumbled and fell backward into the snow.

Riku didn't bother getting back up. He stared up at Axel, his aqua eyes searching for something in his best friend's bloodied face.

"If anyone is sick and tired, it's _me_, Riku."

He flinched at the sound of his own name. Seldom did Axel call him that. It was always 'Cheeseburger' or 'Faggot' or 'Dickbag' or some other kind of name that _should_ have offended him, but just didn't. Just the way Axel said it, the way he smiled and teased, made Riku want to _pretend_ to be angry just so he could continue to play Axel's game.

They stared at each other. The silence was near deafening. The snow began to fall in large flakes again and Riku didn't make a move. The redhead's jade eyes were narrowed, but he wasn't glaring. He didn't even really look angry, but maybe that was just the blood on his face. Maybe that was the bruise forming under his eye.

"I slept with Roxas."

The way the words came out so suddenly, the way they seemed to echo in the silence, Axel wasn't even sure if he had heard correctly.

"What?" the redhead asked. "_What_?"

Riku took a deep, shuddering breath. His mouth was propped open, his eyes were wide, and he stared up at his best friend like a frightened animal. "I slept with Roxas," he repeated. "A long time ago, back… back in high school. I slept with him while I was dating Sora. That's… that's why Sora and I… That's why our relationship is so weird. I didn't want to tell you because –"

"Get up."

Riku hesitated, but then he stood. He didn't even have time to brush the snow off his pants before Axel had grabbed him and shoved him roughly against the side of a nearby building. Their faces were close, Riku's eyes were cast downward, and he felt fear course through his veins.

"Why?" Axel asked. There was fire behind his green eyes.

"I don't know," Riku breathed. "I liked him. It's not like either of us knew you. He was just a freshman and I –"

Axel felt something unfamiliar in his chest and his teeth clenched together. "You… you slept with him when he was_ fourteen_?"

"Axel, I was fifteen. You're acting like I took advantage of him. I –"

"You did!" The redhead hadn't meant to yell. "You did take advantage of him! You took advantage of Sora too! You –"

"Roxas came to me!" Riku yelled. "He came to _me_ Axel! I'm sorry you want to act like he's perfect, but he's not! He's not some fucking innocent little kid! He's just as devious and awful as anyone else!"

"Shut up!" Axel took his hands away from his best friend's coat. He snatched his snow hat from his head and ran his hands through his red locks of hair. His back was to Riku. He couldn't even form words at the moment. He was angry, he felt deceived, he felt badly for Roxas, for Sora, but then he felt guilty for wasting his sympathy… He took a breath and tried to keep himself even.

"Axel, I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd do this."

The redhead rounded on Riku. "This would've been a lot easier to fucking hear back when we first moved in!" he shouted. "I can't believe you! You took advantage of both of them!"

Riku glared. "I did not! Are you fucking deaf? Roxas came to _me_, Axel!"

"He was fourteen!" Axel yelled. "He was fourteen, Riku! How can you tell me you didn't take advantage of him?"

"Because I was just as inexperienced as he was!" Riku shouted back. "I wasn't some asshole looking for a good time! I _liked_ him! I wanted to be with him! I was with Sora though and… And I don't know, okay? I just didn't want you to know because you liked him and I knew you'd be upset! I didn't want you to know that –"

"That what?" Axel barked. "That… that you slept around with both of them? That… that you took Roxas' virginity from him? Because you knew I'd be mad? So your whole fucking plan was to_ just let me know later_? Jesus fucking Christ! What the fuck were you waiting for? The goddamn wedding announcement or were all three of you just going to lie to me forever?"

Riku looked away and didn't say anything.

"I can't…" Axel ran his hand through his hair. He wiped some of the dried blood from his face with his hat and then shook his head. "Why now? Why would you do this to me now?"

"I didn't do anything, Axel."

"Bullshit!" the redhead yelled. "You're a fucking asshole, Riku! You waited to tell me _now_ and… and you aren't even cushioning the fucking fall! You're just letting it all hang out! You're just telling me that Roxas fucking stabbed Sora in the back and you just went along with it! Do you have any idea how awful that is?"

Riku hesitated before saying, "You didn't even really know him! You didn't know me at all! Why do you care, Axel? Roxas isn't yours!"

Axel felt his blood boil. He felt fire spark in his chest. He felt his body tense and it took him everything not to strike Riku again. "I'm in love with him! I don't want to hear this! I don't want to hear that Roxas is… that he's awful just because he _is_! I want to hear that Roxas is mean because his mom died, because he feels lonely and scared and abandoned! I don't want Roxas to be rotten to the core! I want him to have an excuse to act the way he does! I love him and he's…" His words trailed off.

Riku immediately looked away from the redhead and let silence fall between them. It had never occurred to him that Axel could love Roxas. Riku had never thought to look at it from his best friend's point of view. Axel saw Roxas as some innocent kid whose mother had been stolen from him by fate. He didn't see Roxas as devious (grumpy, yes, but not devious). He didn't see him as the kind of person capable of such deceit.

Axel would admit Roxas had some bad habits and that he didn't always treat people kindly. But knowing that he purposefully went after Sora's boyfriend – after Riku – and knowing Riku _liked_ Roxas… It unsettled him greatly. It made him feel sick. It made him want to lean over and vomit into the snow.

"I'm sorry," Riku breathed.

"Disturbing the peace and assault…" Officer Leonhart approached them with his ticket pad and pen in hand. "As soon as I got the call, I knew you had something to do with this, Axel." He ripped the tickets from the pad and held them out for the redhead to take.

Axel stared.

Officer Leonhart shrugged and dropped the tickets into the snow. "And now littering…" He began to write another ticket on his pad. "I was hoping maybe you had learned to –"

Axel wasn't in the mood and even though he knew he was going to get arrested, he reeled back and struck Officer Leonhart in the face.

And Officer Leonhart responded by taking Axel to the ground and cuffing him.

••••••••••••••

"_**Hey Cheeseburger, will **__you give this to Roxy?"_

_Riku took the envelope from Axel's hand and turned it over. There was no name on it, but it was sealed. He looked up at his best friend and then shrugged. "I guess," he said. "What is it?"_

"_It's just a letter I wrote to Roxy. I haven't seen him much…" Axel shrugged. "But I wanted to tell him I was moving, you know? I wanted to let him know we're still friends even if I'm not around."_

_Riku sighed and then nodded. They were sitting in the back of the moving van that was currently half-filled with stuff from Axel's small house. His parents were inside, packing up the last of their things and telling the movers what to take next and where to put things. Axel was moving to Carmine, a town a few hours over, and he would be finishing high school there._

"_I can't believe you're leaving…" Riku sighed again and held the letter in his hand. He felt Axel slink an arm around his shoulders. "You're my best friend."_

"_I always will be," Axel said. "And you'll always be my best friend."_

_He frowned and then nodded slightly. It was December 17__th__. They had just gotten out of school for break. Riku hadn't said anything to the redhead, but he had noticed that sometime between December 2__nd__ and December 5__th__, the quadruplets had stopped going to school. He was too afraid to call, but he was worried._

_Had they moved? Were they okay? Had something happened to their parents or had something happened to one of them? He wanted to know, but he was fearful of the answer. Truthfully, he didn't want to ask because he was scared that maybe something bad had happened to Sora._

"_Axel…" Riku looked at the taller boy. "At the risk of sounding like a faggot…" They both smirked. "I'm going to miss you."_

"_Hey, don't worry about it. It'll be okay," he assured. "We're both going to State. You'll be the Boo-Boo to my Yogi before you know it."_

_He supposed this was true, but it still sucked that Axel was leaving. Riku now knew why Roxas hung out with him. He took all the drama, all the problems, all the issues, and he made you forget about them. He joked and he smiled and he teased and played around… _Nothing _was serious when it came to Axel and Riku adored that. It made everything so much easier to deal with._

"_Hey…" Riku stuck his pinkie out and wiggled it at Axel. "Promise we'll always be best friends?"_

_The redhead raised a brow. "You're so gay." He stuck his pinkie out anyway and hooked it around Riku's own. "But I don't want you to cry and cut yourself later, so yea. I promise we'll always be best friends."_

••••••••••••••

_**He never gave **__the letter to Roxas. At first, it was by accident; he just kept forgetting. But as December 17__th__ turned into December 26__th__, Riku slowly began to wonder what the letter said. Axel didn't talk about Roxas much and Roxas had never mentioned Axel. The only thing Riku had noticed was whenever he was friends with Roxas, Axel wasn't around and whenever he was friends with Axel, Roxas wasn't around._

_He kept turning the letter over in his hands. He kept running his fingers along the seal. He wanted to know what it said because he wanted to know what kind of relationship Roxas and Axel had. Surely it couldn't have been that deep. They were barely seen together and as far as Riku knew, the two of them had never really done anything together except kiss._

_But he was bothered by the letter nonetheless and to keep himself from prying, he slipped the letter into a folder in his closet and tried to forget about it. Normally, this task would've had a toll on Riku, but no sooner had he stuffed the letter out of sight someone was banging on his door._

_Snow had fallen. The weather had been below freezing all winter long. The sky was overcast and the weatherman promised there would be more snow by nightfall._

_He walked into his living room and opened the front door. He tried not to look shocked, he tried to play it cool, but there was no denying it. He was extremely surprised to see Sora standing there and he was even more surprised when he noticed the brunet didn't look well. His sun-kissed skin was pale, the vibrancy of his eyes had dulled, and dark, nasty circles made themselves evident underneath his eyes._

"_Sora…" Riku stepped aside. "Come in."_

_The brunet stepped inside and stood, awkwardly, next to the front door. He had his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't remove his jacket, his scarf, hat, mittens, or shoes. He just stood there trying to look angry, but the emotional stress he was already under made it very difficult. He was exhausted both physically and mentally._

"_Um…" Riku reached up and ran his hands through his hair. "C-can I get you something? Are you cold? Are you hungry or… or thirsty?"_

"_I've never been to your house." Sora looked around the living area. He could see Riku's room off to the left and then there was a kitchen area near the back of the living room. He imagined a bathroom was probably attached to Riku's own room. "Do you…" He paused. "Do you live here alone?"_

_It never occurred to Sora to ask Riku about his home life. The brunet was content to just be with the other and details about his mother, his father, his house… It had never crossed Sora's mind. Riku didn't seem like someone to spread his personal business either, so Sora figured maybe it would be better if he _didn't_ ask._

"_I do." Riku shoved his hands in the pocket of his pants. He wished his place was cleaner. It had been so long since he had visitors, he didn't feel the need to clean or pick-up. "My mom's dead and my dad's in jail."_

_Sora looked at Riku for a long time and when he spoke, his voice sounded bitter, "I think that's the most honest you've ever been with me."_

_He couldn't argue because he knew that was probably true. He shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his feet. Sora still stood in his spot with his arms crossed and his blue eyes searching hungrily around the small house. He knew so little about Riku. It felt like he barely knew him at all._

"_I just came by to tell you something."_

_Riku looked up at the brunet. A glimmer of hope ignited in his chest and he took a deep breath. He brushed his hair back from his face and stared at Sora._

_The younger boy shifted under his gaze. "My mom… My mom is dead. She…" He took a breath. "She died on December 2__nd__. __Her plane crashed and they… they couldn't find her body. They don't know what caused the plane to crash either. She…"_

_Riku stared. He didn't know much about Sora's mom other than that Roxas was strangely enamored with her. She seemed like a very nice woman, but he had never taken the time to know her. There was something lurking behind her eyes, something rotten in her chest. Riku had never gotten to know her for that reason. The way she looked at him, the way she looked at _Sora_, was totally different from how she looked at Roxas._

_She looked at Roxas with malice. She looked at everyone else with love._

"_Sora…" Riku said. "I'm… I'm sorry." He hesitated at first, but then he reached out and put his hand on the brunet's shoulder. "Are you okay? I mean…" He shook his head. "Can I do anything for you?"_

_They locked eyes, the familiar blue into aqua, and Riku had to look away. Guilt welled up in his chest and threatened to overcome him. Guilt made him want to word vomit. Guilt made him want to scream the truth, to tell Sora everything from start to finish. He tightened his grip on the brunet's shoulder and he didn't know _why_ he did it, but he did. He pulled Sora into a tight embrace and he buried his face into his ex-boyfriend's hair. He held him impossibly close and felt relief wash through him when Sora half-heartedly hugged him back._

"_I'll be okay…" he breathed. He buried his face against Riku's neck and squeezed him. He had to stop himself from telling Riku he missed him. He had to keep himself from telling Riku he still loved him and thought about him and wanted to be with him. He had come here for a reason and the reason was not for himself. "Riku…"_

_The older boy pulled back slightly and looked at the smaller boy. "What? What's wrong?"_

_His gaze shifted downward. "Roxas…"_

_The name made Riku tense considerably and Sora felt a dire pain erupt in his chest. He caught his lower lip between his teeth to keep from crying (he still hadn't cried. He was still convinced Riku was nothing to cry over) and took a breath to regain his composure. He broke their contact and backed a good distance away from his ex._

"_Roxas isn't doing well. I… I went to Axel's house to find him and I couldn't. I –"_

"_He moved," Riku stated flatly. "Gone."_

_Sora caught his tongue between his teeth. "Great. Well, I… I just came here because I know…" He took a breath. "I know how Roxas felt about you and I'm scared for him. I don't… I know I shouldn't be asking and it… It hurts that I am, but I… I need you to try and talk to him."_

_Riku stared._

_Sora tried to avoid his gaze. "Don't look at me like that. I… I don't know anyone else close to Roxas. I just need someone to speak to him."_

_Riku couldn't help but look offended. "Why can't you talk to him? Or one of your sisters or your dad?"_

"_Riku, everything between us… It happened only six months ago. I haven't spoken to Roxas in six months. None of us have except… except maybe my dad, but… But we're not… He's disconnected from us. I don't…" Sora sighed. "I don't know how to explain it."_

_He really didn't. Naminé had come straight to him and Kairi when they found out their mother had died. They had all collapsed in on each other and wallowed in a collective sorrow, but Roxas… He refused to come out from hiding. He refused to eat, to speak, to do anything except lie in his bed like a dead body. Sora had tried numerous times to speak to him, but Roxas said nothing. He did nothing._

_Ideally, Sora wanted Axel. Sora wanted Axel to comfort Roxas, to pat his brother on the back and make him normal again, but Axel wasn't around. So he had to go to Riku. He didn't know what else to do. _

"_I was wrong." Sora's voice shook. "I was wrong to lock Roxas out of my life like that. I'm sorry Kairi and I… I'm sorry we did that to him. I was so angry, I…" His voice died in his throat and he looked away. His hand came up to wipe at his face. "I'm not saying he didn't deserve it, but I knew… I knew what Mom did to him. I knew what she had done and I… I should've helped him. I should've helped him."_

_The tears fell freely down his cheeks. He couldn't do much to stop them. He knew what his mother was. He knew what she had done because Naminé had relayed the message to Sora as soon as Roxas had finished telling her. Granted, Sora had tried to make it clear he didn't care, but that didn't stop her from talking. And when she finished, all Sora could say was, "Serves him right."_

_And he hadn't meant it. He was just mad. He had wanted to end the ban of silence against his brother right then and there, but he was hurt. He was so hurt by what Riku and Roxas had done behind his back. Sora couldn't do it, so he went about with Kairi pretending Roxas didn't exist. He and Kairi had even gone as far as to make it clear they didn't even consider him their brother anymore._

_They had been cruel. Sora would still insist Roxas deserved punishment, but he would admit it was all extremely cruel. And now here they were. The puppet master known as their mother was dead. The witch had died. The ring leader was gone. But Roxas was lying in his bed, sad and upset and not saying a word, convinced that he _wasn't_ part of his sibling's group anymore._

"_Please, Riku…" Sora sniffled and wiped his cheeks with his mitten covered hands. "Please talk to him."_

"_Sora, I can't." Riku sighed._

_The brunet looked up at the older boy. Tears fell down his cheeks, followed his jaw line, and dripped off his chin. "Please," Sora begged. "Please, Riku. I need my brother back. I…"_

_He caught his lower lip between his teeth and then he groaned and ran his hands through his hair nervously. "Fine. I'll talk to Roxas, but…" He gazed at Sora. "But I'm only talking to him for you. I don't… I don't want anything to do with him. I want to be with you. I –"_

_Sora let a mirthless laugh escape his lips before crumbling into a heap of wet, messy tears. He was crying over more than just the loss of his mother and the loss of his brother._

_He was crying over Riku, too._

••••••••••••••

_**He didn't know **__where everyone had gone to, but Sora's house was completely empty. He had decided to come over on the 30__th__. He had needed some time to process what Sora wanted him to do as well as figure out _what_ he was supposed to say to someone he had been ignoring for six months. He wasn't nervous because it was Roxas. He was nervous because he didn't want to fuck anything up with Sora. He didn't want to accidentally make Roxas feel worse._

_When he knocked on the front door, a woman he didn't know answered. She looked to be a housekeeper or something and when she asked Riku what he wanted, she had a thick, thick accent that he couldn't place._

"_Is Roxas here?"_

"_In his room," she answered before scuttling away._

_Riku walked inside and closed the door. He had been in this house enough times before to know where Roxas and Sora's room was. Up the stairs, down the hall, the last door on the right… It was a room he had frequented when he had been with the twins._

_He knocked gently on the door and when no one answered, he breathed the blonde's name. There was no movement, no noise, so Riku let himself in and sighed when he saw the younger boy curled on his side on his bed._

"_What?" Roxas sounded weak._

"_It's… It's me…" He closed the door behind him and made his way over to the blonde's bed. Riku took a seat on the edge and looked anxiously at his hands. "Sora told me to –"_

"_Talk to me," Roxas answered. "I know."_

_Silence passed between them and Riku couldn't help but notice it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It was just silence. It was horrible and awful and it was just silence._

"_Where's Axel?" Roxas sat up in bed and Riku felt his heart lurch in his chest. He hated how pitiful Roxas looked. He hated how he looked even worse than Sora. Riku could've sworn his blue eyes were almost gray now._

"_He… He moved."_

_The already pitiful look on the blonde's face worsened as it turned into hurt. "He moved?" Roxas' voice was so small and so weak, Riku didn't want to confirm the answer._

"_Yea, he… He moved over to Carmine with his parents. Roxas, look, Sora –"_

"_Get out," Roxas commanded. "Leave. Get out right now." His body shook. He had lost all shame so he did not hide his face when tears began to fall. "I want to be alone."_

_Riku stared. "Roxas –"_

"_I don't want to talk to you!" he yelled. "I don't want you! I want Axel!" Roxas sobbed. "I wanted Axel to be here so bad! I wanted him to walk in through my door so bad!"_

_Riku tried not to look hurt, but he couldn't. He didn't need to read the letter to know what kind of relationship they had. Obviously it was deeper than anything he and Roxas had ever had. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away._

"_Get out," Roxas stated shakily. "Get out, Riku."_

_He stood and made his way over to the door. Sora had been wrong. Roxas didn't want to talk to him any more than he wanted to talk to anyone else. He hesitated before leaving and he and Roxas exchanged a long, hard look. They weren't anything. Riku had ignored him just like Sora, just like Kairi, just like Naminé. Axel had been there. Axel had always been there when Roxas needed him._

_Riku left the room silently and as soon as he was gone, Roxas sobbed loudly. He wiped at his face and he sobbed because now he _was_ alone. The only person that he wanted comfort from had up and left without a word and Roxas felt extremely abandoned. Weren't they friends? Why had Riku known where Axel was? Why hadn't _he_ known?_

_Because he wasn't Axel's best friend._

_Pain coursed through him and when he stood up from his bed, he stumbled. Tears ran down his cheeks, sobs were pushed out of him, and he stumbled over to his desk and removed the photos he had of Axel. The photos they had taken together over the summer. Photos of them eating sea salt ice cream, sitting atop the clock tower, lying in Axel's backyard… Out of anger and rage, he began to rip these photos up. He ripped them into small, unrecognizable pieces. He sobbed and he shook and he was so angry._

_Axel had just left him._

_Roxas took a deep breath and observed the wreckage. It didn't feel like enough. He hadn't done enough. He went through his desk and began to pull out anything that reminded him of Axel. Letters from the redhead, all the ice cream sticks from the summer, colored beads and bottle caps Axel had collected specifically for Roxas because he knew Roxas liked that kind of thing… Roxas began to destroy all of it. He tore up the letters and made them into confetti. He threw all ice cream sticks, beads, and caps away. He tore up the piece of paper with Axel's phone number on it and as he searched through his drawers for anything else, he cut himself on the edge of a photographer._

_Annoyed, he yanked the photo from where it sat and his heart gave a painful lurch._

_It was the photo of Axel from his time in California. The photo he had stolen from the redhead's stack. Roxas stared at it. He stared at the smile on Axel's face, his tall, lanky body, the surfboard that was bigger than him… He felt an uncomfortable lump form in his throat and as he went to rip the photo in two, he noticed there was another one behind it._

_Roxas didn't know _how_ he had gotten this photo, but seeing it only caused him more pain. It was a simple photo of Axel on the beach. He was wearing jeans and no shirt and next to where he sat he had built a sand sculpture that read "I miss you, Roxy." The blonde stared at it and reached up to wipe at the tears that fell from his eyes. He flipped the photo over and read the small note Axel had written on the back._

I had to wait until dark to do this. So many people walking the beaches here. Don't worry. There's no boy here as cute as you. I don't need to look to know. ;) I can't wait to see you, Roxy. California is great and all, but it'd be so much better if you were here. My mom would love you. Who wouldn't? I'm going to slip this into one of your notebooks or something so I don't have to suffer social embarrassment when you tell me I'm totally queer for doing this. See you soon, Roxy. I miss you lots!  
Axel.

_He reread the note several times and then, without much thought, he crumpled the photo in his hand and threw it on the ground. He walked over to his bed, exhausted and sad and frustrated, and he lay down and tried to think about anyone or anything that wasn't Axel._

_How could Axel do this to him? How?_

••••••••••••••

**He slammed the **door and began to furiously pull off his winter gear. He tossed everything to the floor and mumbled under his breath about stupid boys, stupid relationships, and the apathy that plagued contemporary society. He mumbled about how everything was just about sex, how everything was fun and how taking something seriously was just too much to ask for.

"Zexion!" Demyx yelled from his spot. "Zexion, where are you?" He heard a glass break in the kitchen and he made his way over to where his roommate and best friend must be.

He was kneeling on the floor and picking up bits and pieces of glass. The sound of Demyx's voice had startled him even though he had heard the blond come in. Zexion had been sitting at the kitchen table reading some humongous historical fiction novel that Demyx had purchased for him for Christmas. It was something like 1,500 pages in length.

"Zexion!" Demyx yelled despite the shorter boy kneeling less than a foot away from him.

He looked up and replied with a simple, "Yes, Demy?"

"Axel never showed up at the bakery! He hasn't even called or texted me to tell me what's going on!" Demyx crossed his arms over his chest and tried to not look offended and hurt. "I can't believe him! He said he'd be there! He said he'd meet me and he didn't!"

Zexion stood and tossed the pieces of glass into the nearby trashcan. He glanced over at the blond and just offered the smallest of shrugs.

"Do… Do you think something happened to him?" Demyx frowned and took a seat upon the counter top. "Should I try calling him?"

Zexion shook his head. "Let him come to you, Dem." He paused and looked at the tiny slivers of glass that had gotten caught in the palm of his hand. "What… What did you want to talk to him about exactly?"

"Us." Demyx swung his legs and then blushed and quickly shook his head. "N-not _you and I _us, but _Axel and I _us. Ya know?"

Zexion shrugged and mumbled, "I guess so." He had been hoping the blond was going to go break up with the redhead. Granted, he had no real reason to believe this was the case, but… But he and Demyx had consummated their relationship. He had just figured…

"What's wrong?" Demyx slipped from his spot on the counter and walked over to Zexion. "You look upset. But… But you always kind of look that way."

He scowled. "I'm just a bit perplexed, Dem. You and I shared a moment together and I took that to mean..." He fished around for the right words. "I thought it meant we'd be something more than just friends."

Demyx blushed a deep scarlet and looked away guiltily. "O-oh, well… I… You see, Zex, I…"

Zexion scoffed. "Don't insult me. I may have trouble reading individuals and deciphering what they may be trying to say, but I believe it's safe to say that what occurred between us was a mistake." He strode past Demyx and only stopped when the blond reached out and grasped his wrist.

"It wasn't a mistake, Zexy." Demyx frowned.

He snatched his wrist away from the blond and gave him a cold, unforgiving look. "Maybe not for _you_, Demyx, but it was unquestionably a mistake for me."

A look of utter hurt crossed his features and Zexion couldn't help but sneer. Demyx wore his emotions on his sleeves. Zexion buried them deep and pretended they didn't exist.

* * *

**A/N: **Yaaaay. This chapter is 11,000 words in length! I meant to end it, but I didn't want to do what I did last time which was end it on a flashback thing. So now Axel knows and everything is kind of coming to a head. I foresee this story being over within 5-7 chapters (unless I get some kind of major awesome idea for plot and this story ends up being longer). I'm kind of glad I'm going to be able to end it just because I would _hate_ to draw something like this out for 25+ chapters. I think that would be pretty damn difficult and it would eventually get super repetitive.

**Thank you ****Aindel S. Druida**** for beta-editing this. Please, please, please check out her stories. Despite my inability to review **_**anything**_**, she is a wonderful writer (and spectacular at English!).**

Um… I think chapter 11 or chapter 12 will show a shift in time. I've been slowly writing this out, but I think it's going to take a time jump somewhere. Not a big one, but just like… From the end of the school year to the beginning of next (spring to fall, skip summer).

I also think the chapters will become more central on certain characters so I can tie some things up before the end. So prepare for some, possible, chapters that are mostly about Sora and Riku, the quadruplets, Demyx and Zexion / Cloud x Leon. I don't want to leave anything unfinished (none of this filler nonsense) and I would hate to end this story and then go back and be like "OH CRAP. I FORGOT TO FINISH THAT PART OF THE PLOT! ARGH!"

I think Axel's brother / parents will make an appearance somewhere. I know Riku's dad will be showing up. It's like I have all the pieces to the puzzle, now I just need to put them together.

Anyway, the next chapter will be coming out erm… Early February? I'm going to try to stay on top of this. Can you guys believe this story has been going on for **six whole months?** I know, scary! Also, once this story is finished, I think I'm going to write a new one. I just don't know which characters it will focus on (Riku x Sora, Axel x Roxas, or Demyx x Zexion) or what it'll be about.

Blargh. That's a LOOOONG note. Sorry. Um… Thanks everyone for favoriting, alerting, reviewing, and all that other neat stuff you guys do. I really appreciate all the support, all the love, and all the epic scrutiny. Thank you.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Miyuki-ice-fox: **I hear the nerd thing. I talked to my roommate for twenty minutes about Tron / Space Paranoids and how complex it all must be. At the end, he was just kind of like "…what's Tron exactly?" Oh, southern boys. So, so cute.  
Yea, I have to be careful writing out their mother. I want people to know Roxas was being ill-advised, but I don't want all the blame to fall on his mother. Roxas _did_ act of his own free will. And yes, I agree. It was time Roxas got told. You can't walk around with a sad face on forever.

**Reku14: **I'm still not totally sure what's up with his mother. I'm still playing with the plot on that part. There are a couple things I could say to justify why she did what she did, but I don't know if I'll say anything at all. I could leave it at "oh, well, she's crazy" but I don't know how satisfying of an answer that is. Yeeees. I added the bit as to why Roxas disliked Axel so much. It's totally irrational, but the emotional stress Roxas was under sort of justifies it.

**Axas: **Aww. I didn't mean to make you cry. I will admit that some of my one-shots are meant to be tearjerkers, but this story not so much (well, maybe small parts of it). I'm glad you love this story, even if it does cause you emotional turmoil!

**Catch the Stillicide: **I wanted Riku to take all the blame to sort of rectify his actions. I wouldn't have shouldered all the blame either, but that's what separates me from a good person. :P The fight between Roxas and Sora wasn't originally part of the plot, but it fit in nicely and I'm glad I added it. I'm also glad I separated the flashbacks into pieces. I think doing it in one big chunk would've been overwhelming / confusing. Too much information all in one sitting.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Aww. When's your birthday? And yes! They were always friends, so I hope this chapter explains Roxas' sudden dislike of Axel. Eventually, the letter Axel wrote to Roxas will come up. I just don't know when.

**Neitzarr: **This review made me smile a lot. I love short reviews like this because they make me feel good about myself (hooray self-esteem!) without making me blush and feel stupid. Also, your penname… I like it. Does it have anything to do with Russia / Russian?

**t.y.u.i.t.y.u.i.: **Hooray! :] This story has a fan! Now all you need is a foam finger that says "#1" on it.

**Superkawaiifreak: **I actually decided to go a different route and use the "favoritism" as a mask. She set Roxas up because she's just cruel. I'm still messing around with the plot for her. I can't decide if I should actually offer an explanation for her behavior or just leave it at "oh, she was crazy." I hope this chapter also ties up some other loose ends. This story actually needs a LOT of tying together. I was looking through it and realized I started plots that I haven't carried out yet. Argh. I should've written this all down from the start!  
I don't know why, but I can't make Riku likable. And even when I try, I find his behavior contrived which is bad because I'm the author. I shouldn't be like "UGH. WHAT A FAKE ASSHOLE." I should be like "look, readers, he's a good guy!" but I'm having so much trouble with that. I'm not sure why.  
That's great! I like everyone to have different personalities. I will say the story kind of writes its own personalities. My Demyx and Zexion in _A Dreidel in My Stocking _are different from the Demyx and Zexion I write here. Not AMAZINGLY different, but still pretty different. And I usually write a very sarcastic, very dry Riku, but here he's just… more of a douche (by mistake. See what I mean about the story writing the personalities?).  
I've played with the possibility of her having some kind of _thing_ against Axel, but I'm not sure how I could make that all work. There are a couple things I could do with Roxas' mom, but I just don't know what I'll end up doing.

**Vithian: **Fear not, dear reader. The update will be around when you come back. Though that is an unfortunate coincidence. :[ It never crossed my mind to make Roxas crazy. I actually never meant to make his mom manipulative, but I felt like it added to the plot. I'm still not sure what I'll do with Roxas' mom. I'm still on the fence about why she did what she did. It could be a simple "oh, she's just a jerk" or it could be something deeper. It just depends on how long I want this story to go. But no, Roxas isn't crazy. Err… No more than usual, anyway.

**Casaragi: **Aww, thank you! Writing this story is kind of hard because of all the angst. I don't want my readers to completely hate Riku / Sora / Roxas / Axel / whoever, but I don't want them to completely sympathize either. It _is_ human nature to be good and to be bad. I dislike stories that don't show the nastier side of individuals. Everyone has a bad side, some are just better at controlling it and keeping it hidden. I don't particularly care for pick-up lines, but writing the scene was fun. There are so many pick-up lines on the web. There were Pokemon ones. They were ridiculous.

**Inuliedelfenx: **I never meant to make Roxas so jaded. But I begin to build a personality for someone and, like Frankenstein's monster, it builds up into something I can't control. I don't much care for a suicidal Roxas, but that may be because I don't much care for suicidal characters in general (I do enjoy a self-harming Zexion, but I feel that that's sort of a given).  
You have an interesting take on Roxas and Sora's fight. I think most other people were glad to see Roxas being called out for his behavior. However, it is true that Sora and the others don't really do much to _help_ Roxas. They all just sort of watch what they say and do to avoid igniting his wrath. Also, I never meant to make Riku such a creep. Whoops!  
I can't relate to anything in this story at all. I have never been in any of these situations nor have I ever known beautiful people.

**TheOneYouCallWe: **Yes. Roxas' mom is a slimy, filthy woman who hides behind make-up and pretty clothes and a successful career.  
I never meant to make Zexion into a creep. In fact, this chapter may sway you to look at Demyx as the creep now. Let's be honest: everyone in this story is kind of a creep. Hooray for the ability to be good and bad!  
Yes. Roxas is kind of a masochist / drama-queen. He does thoroughly enjoy drama even though he will deny it to the death. Yes. Sora and Riku lovey-dovey shit makes me want to go "aww" and "eww" at once.  
Yes! Axel is astute. The thing about this story is that I wanted Axel to come into the picture as this super cocky, relatively irritating, "everyone loves me" kind of guy who actually sees the world and the people in it for what they actually are. I love writing Axel because I feel like his care free attitude is just a way for him to cover up what he _actually_ knows. I never saw Axel as someone who missed social cues or body language. I have always viewed him as someone to pick up on really subtle movements or remarks. I also view him as someone who will panic if he believes someone he cares about / loves is upset with him.  
Of course the happy ending will come! I don't like chapter stories that end on a bad note. It leaves me feeling like "well… I just read 100,000 words and all I got was 'it ended the way it started.' I want my time back."  
Bahahaha. Riku's father is a douche and Leon… Well, I've always sort of loathed Leon. He's so "get the fuck away from me. I hate you" and even though I love that about him, I also hate him for it. As for the story… I'm sort of doing a little of both. I have a general plot outline, but there are LOTS of things that I've been making up as I go along. How Sora and Riku got back together was COMPLETELY different from how I originally pictured it. Originally, Roxas' mom wasn't a crazy bitch and Roxas and Axel were never friends. However, that all kind of went to pot the more I wrote.

**OrangeJuiceSmilies: **I hope this chapter clears up the question of "why does Roxas hate Axel?" I know that his reasoning is highly flawed, but I feel the emotional stress Roxas was under made him vulnerable to something as strong as hate for Axel. Eventually, the letter will be read and Roxas and Axel will have some sort of understanding and blahblahblah, we all want the happy ending to commence. We all also want to see Roxas walking down the aisle and marrying Axel, the author of the newly revised _Aesop's Fables_. One can dream.

**Rocket-Ship-Romance: **Yep. Roxas _was_ in denial about it. I figure that makes sense because he was his mother's favorite and he didn't want to let her down.  
I wish I had a nicotine patch for people I should resist. I can also share some of Roxas / Riku's pain. I think most everyone 17+ have been in some kind of situation where they know they shouldn't be with someone, but they keep doing it anyway. And I bet everyone has, at some point, been in a situation where they liked feeling wanted. I love feeling wanted. It causes me to act in ways I probably really shouldn't.  
The pick-up line scene was fun to write. I can definitely see that becoming a regular thing for Axel and Roxas. I'm actually also pretty excited to see Demyx and Axel break up because they aren't anything. They're just there for plot purposes. I also love Zexion and Demyx together because they complement each other so well.  
I'm still unsure about Roxas' mom. I've said this quite a bit now to a bunch of different people, but I'm just not sure if I want her involved in the plot anymore than she already is. I'm sure there will be an explanation for her madness, but I'm not sure if it'll be a huge thing or if it'll just be a little bump in the story's road.  
I actually loathe people who are fucked up. I would find Roxas insufferable and I would probably end up moving out of the duplex. I can't stand that kind of behavior which is extremely hypocritical because I've been prone to act the same way (minus the hotness and sluttiness).

**It Started with a Paopu: **I actually dislike their mom less than I dislike Riku, but I think that's because I _meant_ for her to be hated and I didn't mean for Riku to be hated (disliked, sure, but not hated). I'm so delighted that everyone is telling everyone about this story. I didn't know fanfiction traveled by word of mouth. I also didn't know people talked about books or fanfiction to their friends. I obviously don't get out enough.  
I actually have the same love-hate relationship with Roxas. I feel really bad for him and I love seeing a masculine, super-head-over-heels Axel cuddle a slightly feminine, super-in-deniable-about-being-in-love Roxas. It makes my heart melt and it makes me go "AWW OH MAN SO CUTE" and then I feel less masculine. Oh well.

**SSanity: **He's actually an expert at it. His mom was also an expert at screwing up his life too. I'm glad you don't dislike everyone. The general feeling of the readers seems to be one of mutiny against the common selfishness of every character. I'm actually kind of surprised you don't really dislike anyone. I'm writing for them and I still find myself going "ugh, you dick" whenever I have to write a particularly mean scene for Roxas or whenever I write Riku (uuugh).  
Everything will end up okay for Axel and Roxas. Having them _not_ together is a crime against nature.

**Fredrikness: **NO! It was NOT supposed to happen! But, somehow, Riku's personality took on a life of its own and he ended up being some kind of jerk-face monster. I'm still trying to figure out a way to fix that. I really don't want my readers hating one of the main characters.

**Vendetta4Kyoto: **I want Roxas and Axel to skip through a field of flowers too but plot is demanding they skip through the gates of Hell and suffer for a little while longer. I'm glad you like this story so much! I think everyone is sort of on the fence about who they do like and who they don't. Most people seem to feel that Riku is just a douchebag and deserves to be alone. That totally wasn't supposed to happen, but oh well. I'll find a way to fix it. Axel will learn eventually and Roxas will get over his issues and they will go skipping through that field of flowers.

**Sana-chan9: **I agree. Roxas did need a bit of telling off. And noooo. Their mom totally doesn't have cancer. She's dead, but not because of cancer. Bahahahah. I read that and I was like "oh… fuck, did she have cancer? OH MAN PLOT HOLE! FUCKFUCKFUCK!" and then I read the line after that and was like "oh… never mind. She just doesn't remember. Hooray!"  
I really like Sora too. I think if I had to choose one of the characters that I liked the most, it'd probably fall between Sora and Axel. I have such a soft spot for Axel. Demyx, too. I think it's the whole "tall, skinny, and kind of scary" thing they both have going for them.

**IchiakiI: **Yes! Everyone does count! A review is a review regardless of what it says or how much it says. I always appreciate people taking the time to tell me what they think or how they feel about what I'm writing. I'm also thoroughly looking forward to the upcoming Axel x Roxas stuff. Woohoo!  
Thanks. I try to update really fast and I really enjoy writing. Summertime is the best time to write because then I can bang out updates every two weeks. I love being on break from college. And hooray for avoiding family on Christmas! Glad I could be of service.

**Michi: **The more I wrote the flashbacks, the more I realized it would be really, really difficult for Riku to be all over Roxas while also all over Sora. I wanted to make it clear that Riku did genuinely like Roxas, which was why he cheated on Sora, but he wasn't out to just **have** two boyfriends. Like… I didn't want him to come off as a player, I guess? I wanted readers to go "I can see why he did that, but he's still a jerk" and instead, the readers are saying "he's just a jerk!"  
But you're right. The flashbacks weren't ever supposed to be this long. They were supposed to fill in some gaps in a chapter or two, but they took on a life of their own. I probably could've done a better job making it clearer (and making Riku look less like a douche!).  
Naminé is one of my favorite characters. She's so fun to write for because she's quiet and nice. As for Kairi, I'm thinking at some point the girls will get a chapter that's mostly about them.

**RainbowNinjaD:** Writing argument scenes are the best. I don't know why, but I really, really enjoy putting characters at odds with one another (but only briefly! I hate long-standing conflict between people who should actually be having sex). I don't know how unintentional Roxas' home wrecking is. Like… he _knows_ he's home wrecking, but he's not doing it just to do it. He's doing it because he likes the other person. I hope that makes sense.

**Xacilia: **I _always_ leave things in my tab browser thing if I really, really like them. I generally end up saving them to my favorites folder if I have to turn my PC off. It's not embarrassing at all! It's actually kind of cute.  
Roxas is too hard to hate. I mean, I think it's really easy to get fed up with him, but then how can anyone say "go away" or "I'm angry at you" when he's all frowning and upset? I've never been involved in some… strange love-triangle. The closest I came to one was in high school… I started dating someone's ex-boyfriend a month after they broke up. It was really ridiculous and stupid. Good thing there isn't anything _that_ petty going on in this story. ;P


	10. He Grows a Bit of Stubble

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Balls. This took me so long to write and I'm still not totally happy with it. On the upside, it's an update so hooray! I'm going to blame this chapter's semi-lateness on my inability to keep my hands off the boy in my Linguistics class.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

X – He Grows a Bit of Stubble

"**How's your nose?" **Leon asked from his position at his desk. Axel stood in the nearby holding cell, his fingers gripping the bars and his head hanging low. Upon arrival at the station, Leon had been courteous enough to help Axel clean all the blood off his face. The redhead's nose didn't look broken, but it was bruised lightly along the bridge.

"Fantastic," Axel replied. "Aren't I entitled to a phone call?"

"Yea." Leon shrugged. "But I'm revoking your phone call privilege for assaulting me." He picked up a nearby magazine (_Biker's Monthly)_ and began to flip through it. He didn't much care for motorcycles, but Cloud had been making it pretty obvious he was interested in buying one. Though Leon had been less than impressed to be told he could "ride bitch," he still felt it necessary to feign interest for things his boyfriend liked.

"Can't we just call it even?" Axel sighed and lifted his head up. "You had it coming."

Leon merely responded with an eye roll. He flipped a page in the magazine and began to ignore Axel.

"Oh come on! You've been harassing me for months! The number of tickets you've given me is greater than the number of times I've been laid! _That_'s injustice! _That _deserves punishment! And what about Riku? He just beats me up and gets off free?"

"He didn't assault an officer," Leon responded simply.

"Ugh!" Axel groaned and began to pace the length of the holding cell. He would have been much more forceful with Officer Leonhart if he hadn't just spent the last of his aggression on Riku and if he actually had someone to call. Even if Leon _did_ give him his phone call, who was he supposed to ask to come down and bail him out? Surely not Riku. Roxas was out. Maybe Sora or even Kairi or Naminé, but… He supposed Demyx was still an option and, if worse came to worse, Zexion…

"So did they teach you how to be a dick in cop school or is that just your specialty?"

"Specialty. Thanks for asking."

Axel felt his cheeks heat with annoyance and he walked over to the small, uncomfortable bed that jutted out from the wall. He took a seat on it stiffly (he was kind of afraid of the possible germs the bed could be harboring) and then sighed loudly. He could always call Cloud, his cousin, but they didn't really keep up with each other. The occasional text message would be exchanged here or there, but they had never been close.

"Can't you just respect that I'm having a bad day?" Axel put his head in his hands. "Seriously, man. Gimme a break. I just found out the love of my life was diddled by my best friend while my best friend was dating the love of my life's brother."

Leon looked up from his magazine and toward the ceiling. His eyebrows came together and then he frowned slightly, "Wait, what? That silver haired guy had sex with Demyx? Demyx has a brother?"

The mention of the blond caused the redhead to stiffen. "Wait… How do you know Demyx?"

They stared at each other for a long time. The silence in the small police station was deafening. Leon gripped the motorcycle magazine, his face expressionless, and Axel stared back at him, a look of confusion and slight accusation on his features. How _did_ Leon know Demyx?

"Squall, I brought coffee."

The door to the police station shut with a bang and Leon dropped the motorcycle magazine. His usually expressionless eyes went slightly wide and he scrambled to get out of his chair and out from behind his desk.

Axel knew that voice before he even saw his face. "Cloud?" he screeched as he jumped up from the bed and ran over to the door of the holding cell. "Oh my God, Cloud! CLOUD! Officer Dillhole arrested me!"

"He was breaking the law!" Leon yelled. Annoyance crossed his features and he blushed lightly when he saw Cloud giving him a slight look. "He was," the brunet grunted. "He… he assaulted me when I ticketed him for disturbing the peace."

Cloud set the coffee on Leon's desk. He made his way over to the holding cell and sighed softly when he saw Axel pressed against the bars in what looked like some sort of odd attempt to escape. He shook his head, reached up to rub at his eyes and he smiled just the tiniest bit when Leon slunk behind his desk and picked up the motorcycle magazine from the ground.

"So, um…" Axel glanced over at Cloud. "What… what are you doing here exactly?"

He ignored Axel's question and instead said, "You know, I know your snowball throwing skills suck, but not enough to get you arrested."

Silence followed this statement.

"Wait, _what_?" the redhead asked. "That was _you_? You threw the snowballs?"

Cloud nodded. "Yea. Squall and I –"

Axel shot Leon a dirty look. "You _watched_ Riku and I fight like that and you didn't _do_ anything?"

The brunet crossed his arms over his chest. "I stopped you. I just took my time doing it."

His jade eyes narrowed and he gripped the bars of the holding cell tightly. "You asshole! You watched him assault me and then you come down to give _me_ a ticket?"

Leon shrugged his shoulders and the jailhouse fell silent. Cloud's blue eyes darted between the two and when Axel's seething look didn't cease, he sighed softly. "So… Either of you want to start explaining what happened?"

Instantly, both of them began screaming their side of the story at Cloud.

"Officer Dickweed came up -"

"—writing a ticket for disturbing the –"

"—more bullshit! Just so much bullshit from this guy –"

"—and then he _littered! _The nerve of this kid –"

"—and after Riku had just assaulted me, he just –"

"—ignores authority, Cloud! Completely disregards –"

"—his balls! I just want to chop them off and –"

"—then he struck me! Right in the face –"

"—with his dick! That sick asshole–"

"—tackled him to the ground –"

"— and fucks whoever he feels like –"

"—put him in the police car –"

"—even if it's with someone _I _care about!"

Cloud was silent for quite a few moments before giving Axel a quizzical look. "_What_? What the hell are you talking about?"

The redhead blushed and looked away. "Nothing. Look Cloud, the point is that –"

"He _belongs _in that cell," Leon stated firmly.

The blond sighed and shook his head. "Squall, tell me… When you said you were harassing an obnoxious redhead, were you, by chance, talking about Axel?"

"AHAH!" Axel screamed from the holding cell. "So you ADMIT to harassing me!"

Both men ignored the jailbird.

Leon didn't confirm or deny his boyfriend's question and simply stated, "I didn't know he was your cousin until today."

Cloud arched a brow. "Right, so… Now that you know he's my cousin, you're going to let him go." It was a statement, not a question and Squall hesitated to defy Cloud's authority.

"No. I'm upholding the law. When I was sworn in as an officer I took an oath to protect people, to provide the world with justice, to keep –"

"Oh, shut it." The blond waved his hand dismissively at Leon. "You can't just whip your oath out when it's convenient. You had no qualms when we ah…." He passed a sideways glance to Axel. "Played the adult version of cops and robbers in your office."

Leon's face heated considerably and he hung his head in hopes of hiding it. "That… That was different."

"Mm, how?" Cloud teased. "Sounds like two cases of abusing your power to me."

Axel fist-pumped. "Yea! Take it, Copper! How do you like them apples?""

Both men ignored the jailbird for the second time.

"Look," the blond said as he made his way over to Leon. He grasped his boyfriend's chin and lifted his head. "I know Axel is the most insufferable, self-absorbed human being on the planet, but he's family and because he's family, I can't be okay with you harassing him."

"Maybe you've forgotten, but…" Leon reached up and grasped Cloud's wrist, pulling it away from his face. "I'm harassing him for _my_ family."

"What? _Your_ family?" Axel asked.

"You can't fight his battles for him, Squall. Do you honestly think –"

"OH MY GOD!" the redhead suddenly shouted from the holding cell. Both men looked towards Axel (Leon looking extremely hassled and Cloud looking just plain annoyed). "IT'S ZEXION, ISN'T IT?"

Squall and Cloud exchanged a look.

"Oh man!" he growled. "That little shit is _dead_! D-E-A-D, dead! I'm going to wrap my hands around his tiny throat and –"

Cloud loudly cleared his throat and gave his cousin a look that said something like, "Shut the fuck up. I'm trying to negotiate your freedom, dumb shit."

Axel fell silent and passed a variety of hateful looks at Squall. _That_ was how the brunet knew Demyx. _That_ was why Leon suddenly began harassing him not long after he went out with Demyx. This whole time he thought Zexion was just filled with hateful looks and witty retorts.

He never thought the bookworm to be some kind of schemer.

"What am I supposed to tell Zexion?" Leon asked.

Cloud thought about this for a moment. "Mm… Tell him if he has a problem with you choosing not to bother Axel, he can take it up with me. I think I can handle him."

Squall hesitated, but then he slipped a key from his pocket and unlocked the door of the holding cell. He swung it open and sighed very, very deeply when Axel made it a _point_ to _strut_ from the cell with the most triumphant look on his face.

"Yea, that's right…" The redhead slung an arm around Cloud's shoulders. "Listen to your man."

Fire ignited behind Leon's eyes and his gaze followed Axel as he half-walked, half-_danced_ behind the desk and grabbed his wallet, keys, and cell phone. He stuffed the items in the pockets of his pants and then breathed a content sigh through his mouth.

"Well, guys… It's been fun."

"Yea." Squall replied thickly. "Hey, Axel, before you go…"

The redhead raised his brows and felt tears immediately spring to his eyes when Leon reeled back and punched him, hard, in the nose. It was _surely_ broken now. Blood immediately gushed from his nostrils and Axel reached up to place his hands over his face.

"Ah! You dick! You… ah, fuck! My nose!" he yelled into his hands.

Squall gave his hand a shake. "I didn't let you go because my "man" told me to. I let you go because I might _kill you_ if you're here any longer."

Axel passed Officer Leonhart the most hateful look he could possibly muster. Cloud walked over to Leon's desk and grabbed a box of tissue. He shoved it at his cousin (who took fifty or sixty tissues) and watched as the redhead shoved them under his nose.

"You shouldn't have antagonized him." Cloud shrugged and Axel let a grumble pass his mouth before he walked out of the police station, slamming the door roughly behind him. He'd eventually get Leon back through Zexion. This whole entire ordeal would _not _go unpunished.

As soon as Axel was gone, Squall pressed a kiss to Cloud's mouth. "I only let him go because you told me to," he admitted softly.

The blond smiled mischievously. "Mm, are you going to start referring to me as "your man" now?" He wrapped his arms around Leon's waist and yanked the brunet close.

"No, but I'll refer to you as "my bitch" if you want."

"I just watched you break Axel's nose. I don't think I really have a say in what you call me," Cloud teased.

Squall buried his face against the blonde's neck and mumbled something like, "I hope that son of a bitch makes it home all right because this isn't over yet."

"Just a big softie at heart, aren't you?" the blond teased. He squeezed Leon tightly against him. Just in case his pill of a boyfriend decided he wanted to break Cloud's nose too.

••••••••••••••

"**Ow."**

"Sorry," Sora breathed. "I'm trying to be gentle. I've never done this before…"

The snippet of conversation he heard between his brother and his ex made him stop short before entering the kitchen. It had occurred to Roxas that Riku and Sora probably _had_ consummated their relationship all around the duplex, but he always figured that they would save it for when nobody was home. Granted, he had been rather quiet all day and he supposed they _could_ think they were alone…

"Are you guys fucking?" Roxas yelled unceremoniously. "I want a snack, but not if you're fucking."

There was a scrambling and the blonde's cheeks flushed.

"Just a second!" Sora yelled. He quickly began to wipe all the blood off Riku's face and a string of obscenities left the older boy's mouth. "Quit being a baby," the brunet said. "Just shut up and take it like a man."

Roxas' blue eyes went wide when he heard Sora's command. His face erupted in two hundred varying degrees of red because he was suddenly left with the mental image of _Sora_ dominating _Riku_. A shiver shot down his spine and the hair on the back of his neck rose. He instantly began to check his pockets for a matchbook and when he found it, he cracked open the kitchen door and blindly tossed the matchbook at Sora and Riku.

"Just burn the kitchen down when you're done," the blond called from behind the door. "And _please_ don't cum in the milk or juice," he added as an afterthought.

The front door of the duplex banged open and Roxas stalked away from the kitchen door and into the foyer. Axel hadn't been around all day and his elation at seeing the redhead quickly turned to worry when he saw the bloodied tissue Axel had stuffed firmly inside his nostrils. He kicked his boots off, removed his coat, mittens, and scarf, and his jade eyes narrowed when he saw Roxas walking toward him tentatively.

"What happened?" the blond asked. "Axel, what happened?" His blue eyes roved over the redhead's nose and he couldn't help but make the slightest face. There was a dark, purple colored bruise all around the bridge of his nose.

"Is Riku here?" the redhead asked stiffly.

"Uh…" Roxas' cheeks erupted in color and he decided not to tell Axel that Riku was preoccupied in the kitchen with Sora. "Yea, but he's… mm… incapacitated at the moment. Look, Ax, your fa –"

He ignored Roxas and made his way up the steps. Concerned and somewhat miffed by the other's sudden reclusive behavior, the blond followed him up the stairs and into the upper portion of the duplex. Axel either didn't notice or didn't care and Roxas frowned deeply when Axel stormed into his bedroom and began yanking some clothes out from his dresser.

"What the hell is going on?" the blond asked. He stood at the doorway because he had never seen the redhead act like this before.

"Please just go away, Roxas." He stood and walked over to his desk, grabbing his back pack and dumping his school contents onto the floor. He began shoving his clothes into it and he only looked up from his packing when he suddenly heard the door to his bedroom close.

Roxas stood against the door, his back flush with the wood. "You're not leaving," he stated firmly.

Axel rolled his eyes and shook his head. He grabbed his tattered notebook off his desk and shoved it none too kindly into his bag. He didn't worry about his toiletries. Eventually he'd be back (he only packed a few pairs of pants). He just needed some time to think. He just needed some time to be away from everyone.

He knew if he saw Riku, his head might explode. He knew there would be another fist fight.

And as of now, he couldn't even look at Roxas without feeling sick. How could Riku do that to him? How could… How could Roxas do that to _Sora_?

Axel zipped his bag and he saw Roxas tense considerably when he made his way over to the door. "Move."

"No."

Their eyes met and Axel felt his heart give a very painful throb. He was so angry and he felt so incredibly betrayed, but looking into Roxas' eyes made him feel _bad_ for leaving. Seeing that small, frail frame pushed against his door and refusing to let him leave made Axel want to stay. It also made him want to vomit and he knew this was love.

Because only love could make him want to projectile vomit while simultaneously holding Roxas in his arms.

"What's wrong? What happened to you?" the blond asked softly. "Your nose… Is it broken?"

"I don't know," Axel replied harshly. "I really need to leave."

His blue eyes were wide and bright with an emotion the redhead couldn't quite place. "Why?"

"Just move, Roxas. Seriously," he growled. He was really starting to become annoyed. "I said I really need to leave. Just take my word for it, okay?" He hated how pathetic he sounded.

"Just tell me what's going on!" Roxas demanded.

Axe's eyes narrowed. "If you don't move, _I'll_ move you."

"Then I guess you'll have to move me."

He _really_ didn't want to do this right now. He didn't have it in him to fight right now. He was afraid of touching Roxas anyway because he was scared of what touching him might do. Would he be flooded with fury and proceed to beat the hell out of Roxas or would love take over and make him crush the blond against his chest and whisper gentle proclamations of love?

Roxas curled his fingers against the wood of the door when Axel reached out to touch him. Because he had never seen Axel act in this manner before, he was scared of what the redhead would do next. His breath caught in his chest when Axel gripped his shoulder and yanked him into the tightest, _strangest_ embrace he had ever been involved in.

And then Axel threw him to the floor and left the room.

Roxas scrambled to his feet quickly and ran after the redhead.

"Wait!" the blond yelled as he raced down the steps. Axel was already at the front door and he let his shoulders sag slightly and his head drop. "Wait a second!"

"What?" he growled.

"Where are you going? Why are you leaving?" Roxas knew he sounded incredibly weak and he made a mental note to, at some point, man up. "How long will you be gone? Are you even coming back at all?"

Axel felt his heart give a nasty tug in his chest. "Roxas…" He sighed.

"I just don't understand!" he suddenly yelled. "You're leaving, Axel! Why?"

The redhead passed the blond a rather disappointed look. "Because right now it's what I need to do."

"That's stupid!"

Axel shook his head. "Just please leave me alone. I –"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Roxas was _extremely _on edge. "Why are you leaving me?"

The redhead couldn't hide the shock that crossed his features. "I'm not leaving _you_. I'm leaving the duplex. I'm leaving everyone, not you specifically. Don't single yourself out. Don't make yourself special."

This hurt Roxas almost more than Axel's attempts to get away.

"Maybe in your mom's world you were _always_ the favorite, but in my world you're _not_ right now. To be honest, I'm pretty… I'm pretty fucking mad, but I think I'm doing a damn good job at controlling it. I don't want to talk to you or anyone else right now. I want to be alone," he explained calmly.

The blonde's cheeks flushed and he stood there feeling stupid and incredibly inferior to Axel. He swallowed thickly and stared down at his feet. He was embarrassed because Axel was _way_ too damn honest.

"Why can't you just stay here? I'll make everyone leave you alone…" he mumbled. His voice was very little. He felt so incredibly weak and feminine.

"Oh my God…" Axel sighed deeply. "You are making this sofucking hard, Roxas. I can't even make a warranted dramatic exit without you making me feel like the biggest piece of shit on the planet."

"I'm sorry?" the blond offered. A frown crossed his features and he stared up at Axel with wide, deep blue eyes.

"Ugh, come on … Don't look at me like that…" Axel whined. "You're killing me, Roxy."

There was a momentary shuffling in the kitchen and then footsteps could be heard as Riku and Sora made their way into the foyer. They had heard Axel and Roxas running up and down the steps and both knew that Axel was liable to crush Roxas' face in.

"Axel!"

The redhead tensed when Riku said his name.

"Roxas." Sora walked over to his brother and grabbed his wrist. He yanked the blond away from Axel and ignored the quizzical look his twin was giving him. "Are you hurt?"

"Am I what?" he asked. "What's…" He looked at Riku's face, saw the bruises, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. "_You _broke Axel's nose?"

"No," the redhead said. "No, Officer Leonhart did. After he arrested me. After I punched him in the face. After Riku and I got into a fight. After Riku told me what happened." He didn't look at the trio as he spoke. He put his hand on the doorknob and pressed his forehead against the cool wood of the front door. "This is why I need to leave."

Roxas' breath hitched in his chest. "About… He told you about us?" His voice was small and he felt extremely uncomfortable. "Axel, it's not… It wasn't…"

Riku shook his head. "Don't, Rox."

His jade eyes narrowed and he glared at Riku from over his shoulder. "Shut the fuck up."

His own aqua eyes narrowed and he uttered the words, "Make me."

Axel slung his backpack off his shoulder and made his way over to Riku. Roxas and Sora instantly intervened, both of them holding their respective men back.

"What is this?" Roxas growled. "High school?" He had his hands pressed against Axel's chest, but it was obvious the redhead wasn't trying very hard to get to Riku. "If you and Ponyboy want to rumble, you guys need to take it outside."

Silence passed through the duplex and the tension of the moment died somewhat.

"Did… Was that an _Outsiders_ reference?" Axel asked, somewhat bewildered.

"Well… Yea?" Roxas frowned. "Um… If you and Malfoy want to duel, take it to the … Whomping Willow? I don't know. Just don't fucking fight in the house, okay?" he grumbled.

Riku snorted and Sora let his line of vision drift toward the floor. He was fighting off his small smile by biting the inside of his cheek. Roxas' embarrassment had successfully killed the heated moment that could've proved rather disastrous. Now that the threat of a fight was gone, Roxas noticed how close he was to Axel and how nice it would be to be held by him.

"This is stupid." Axel turned away from Roxas and walked over to his backpack. He bent down, picked his bag up and slung it over his shoulder. Without another word (and ignoring Roxas' small cries of "wait, don't go"), he left the duplex with a nasty slam of the door.

Sora and Riku stood awkwardly in the foyer.

"I can't believe you told!" Roxas yelled as he rounded on Riku. "Why would you do that?"

Sora cringed. "Rox, come on. You knew it would come out eventually," he said gently.

"It should've come from _me_! Not from you!"

Riku raised his brows. "And why is that? It was just as much my business as it was yours!"

Roxas didn't want to fight right now. He couldn't fight right now. Axel had left and while he obviously hadn't left forever, the blond was still hurt by his actions. It brought up every old feeling of abandonment, of how badly it had hurt him to have his mom disappear and then Axel… He looked down at the floor and ignored the comforting hand Sora placed on his shoulder.

"Rox… He'll be back…" his twin reassured. "It'll be all right. He just needs time to cool off."

He didn't respond. His shoulders sagged. Riku left a soft sight part his lips before mumbling, "I'm sorry, Roxas."

Sora's grip slackened and the blond took this moment to leave the foyer. He was retreating to his bedroom (as usual) and Sora hung his head back briefly when he heard the familiar slam of another door. The familiar noise of someone showing just how pissed off and angry they were.

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is this?" Riku asked quietly.

Sora thought about this for a moment. "I don't know. What's a ten?"

"High school."

The brunet grimaced. "Like… a seven?"

Riku heaved a sigh and ran his hand nervously through his hair. A look crossed his features and he was briefly surprised when Sora wrapped his arms tightly around his waist and hugged him impossibly close. He hugged the small brunet back, a bit limply at first, but then his grip tightened and they were holding each other as if the world would stop turning if they didn't.

"You're a _terrible_ decision maker," Sora mumbled against Riku's neck.

His silver brows came together and he felt the need to look somewhat indignant. "I am not." He paused. "Okay. Fine. I am. But… But haven't you ever made a decision that you regret? Haven't you ever wanted to try and fix something you've done?"

Sora pulled away from Riku and offered the older boy a somewhat saddened look. "Sometimes you _can't_ fix things."

An uncomfortable lump made itself known in the pit of his stomach and he shifted his gaze away from the brunet. He supposed he always knew that, but it had never occurred to him before. Riku had always been content with the idea that putting a band aid over a wound and leaving it alone would make it better. He had never entertained the idea that underneath the band aid infection could grow. He had never thought that tearing off the band aid and poking around would only make the infection worse.

Because life just _couldn't_ work like that. If life did work like that, it would be _extremely_ unfair.

"Then what do you do?" Riku asked quietly. "What do you do if you can't fix it?" He stared at his feet, at Sora's feet, at the lines in the wood floor.

"You ask for forgiveness," Sora responded. "You ask for forgiveness and you pray to God that you're given a second chance."

Silence fell between them and Sora reached up to brush Riku's hair away from his face. The older boy looked at his boyfriend, their eyes meeting and causing Riku to only feel worse. The way Sora's eyes shone with love, the way that small, understanding smile pulled the corners of his lips upward, and the soft, gentle hand that brushed the locks of silver hair away from his face. He had always assumed Sora had forgiven him a long time ago, but had he? What was keeping them together? Love? Riku could safely say he was with Sora because he loved him, but…

What about Sora? Was he with Riku because he loved him or was he with Riku because he was afraid of leaving childhood behind for good? Was he afraid of being alone? Was he more like Roxas in personality than anyone had ever speculated – abandoned _and_ rejected by both his boyfriend and his mother?

Riku felt his breath catch in his chest when Sora cupped his cheek and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. The way they kissed, the way they touched… It certainly _felt_ like love.

"Cheer up." Sora briefly kissed him again. "Everything eventually comes to an end. This fight will end." He tangled his hands in Riku's hair and pressed their bodies close together. "Axel will be your friend again. Roxas will… still really need to get laid. We'll all still live together and people will continue slamming doors and screaming at each other. Because that's just how it is and I don't think I'd want it any other way."

Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's waist and placed his hands on the brunet's lower back. He pressed his forehead to his boyfriend's own and took a breath. "Because harmony is overrated, huh?"

"Exactly. What's life without being struck by a metaphorical bus every three to five days?"

Riku figured it would be a life filled with mediocrity.

••••••••••••••

"**Please tell me **you're home." Axel had his phone pressed to his ear and he was sitting on Demyx and Zexion's front porch. It was snowing again and he was freezing. It didn't help that his nose, which was swollen, had a wonderful ache that caused him to cringe whenever the wind blew.

"What's it to you?" Demyx said on the other end.

"I've been knocking on your damn door for like… two hours. I'm cold and I'm tired." Axel sighed and watched his breath come out in a white puff. In reality, he had been knocking on their door for three or four minutes.

"Go home then."

"I can't go home, Dem."

The blond rolled his eyes. "You have other places, I'm sure."

Axel kept himself from yelling at the other. He took a very deep breath and then slowly released it through his nose. "Dem, listen to me. I'm really on edge. I just need somewhere to be for tonight. Please just let me in."

His curiosity got the better of him and before he could remind himself he was pissed at Axel, he blurted, "Why? What happened?" He _hated_ how concerned he sounded. He hated how much he cared about the redhead.

"I got into a huge fight with Riku and then I got arrested and then Officer Douchebag broke my nos –"

"What?"

Axel nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Demyx standing next to him, in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, looking overly concerned. The redhead looked at the blond, at his phone, and decided it was better not to question how in the _world _Demyx appeared next to him without any sort of noise.

"Uh…" He closed his phone and stood. "Yea, it's not… it's not a big deal. I just –"

Demyx threw his arms around Axel's neck and pulled him very close. "I'm sorry! I didn't know! I thought you blew me off! I thought you just didn't meet me! I'm sorry, Ax, I –"

"Dem."

"—didn't know! I just figured you were being a dick because that's not so unlike you. I -"

"Okay, Dem –"

"But your nose! Does it hurt?" He grabbed the redhead's shoulders and pushed him back with some force. His pretty blue eyes followed the line of the bruise and then he reached out to touch the swollen bridge. Axel jerked back and the blond quickly mumbled, "Sorry! I'm sorry."

"Can… Can we go inside?" the redhead stated more than asked. Demyx nodded and Axel followed him through the front door. The house was warm and cozy and Axel heard soft music playing from somewhere on the second floor. Probably from Demyx's room. He doubted Zexion even listened to music and his knowledge of it probably stemmed from books and not experience (probably much like his knowledge of sex).

"So what happened?" Demyx asked again. He began to walk toward the kitchen and motioned for Axel to follow.

"I just… I was walking to meet you and Riku was with me," Axel began. He took a seat at the kitchen table and soaked up the warmth of the house. Demyx put a tea kettle on the stove and then grabbed two mugs from a nearby cabinet. "And we got into a fight. And then I got arrested because I hit Officer Dickweed because he was _ticketing_ me for disturbing the peace. Then I was in jail. Then Cloud came. Then I was released from jail and then Officer Fuckface broke my nose."

Demyx retrieved two tea bags and placed one bag in each mug before walking over to Axel and taking a seat next to him. "Who's this cop?"

Axel waved his hand dismissively. "Don't play dumb. I already know Squall is Zexion's cousin. I already know Zexion told him to mess with me because you were interested in me."

Demyx looked genuinely surprised. "What? Zexion told him to mess with you?"

Axel raised a brow. "Yea. I figured you knew."

He shook his head. "I knew they were related, but not… I'm sorry, Ax."

Had he and Zexion been talking, the blond would've surely let his best friend know exactly how he felt about that. But considering Zexion had left after their argument, Demyx hadn't exactly had a chance to say much of anything to him except how sorry he was.

"It's not your fault, Dem. Look, I'm really sorry about all the shit we've been through. I'm sorry this relationship has been, ya know, sucky. I promise I'm not this bad of a boyfriend." He leaned back in his chair and reached up to carefully rub at his tired green eyes. "Well, no. I take that back. I _am_ this bad of a boyfriend. I guess I've just never been in a relationship long enough to real –"

He was cut short by Demyx's lips on his own. The blond was kissing him eagerly and Axel was content to just let it happen. He needed a bit of a reprieve from fighting. He needed to be kissed and held by someone who _wasn't_ Roxas. He needed to be with Demyx right now because Demyx had been the only person who hadn't hurt him.

"You're cute," the musician breathed when he broke their kiss. "Wanna just call it even and start over?"

Axel raised his brows. "Just like that, huh? It's that easy for you to just let it all go?"

Demyx shrugged. "I can be mad if you want. I just prefer making love, not war."

He couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his features. While Demyx could be very annoying and occasionally dumb, he rather enjoyed the blonde's company. He was always very cuddly and though this usually got on Axel's nerves, he was finding it quite comforting. It was a welcome contrast from all the fighting he had done earlier in the day.

"No, no. We're on the same page. I prefer making love too." Axel slipped an arm around his boyfriend's waist. "Or, you know, fucking. Whichever term is more applicable to the moment."

He _needed_ this time with Demyx. He needed to forget about Roxas, about Riku, for the moment. He needed a distraction and while, on some level, he knew he was _using_ Demyx until he sorted out how he felt, he had a suspicion his blond companion was doing the same. He wasn't stupid. Usually inattentive and a terrible boyfriend, but not stupid. He _saw_ the way Demyx looked at Zexion. It was the same way Axel looked at Roxas.

Was it really so bad to use each other for a little while? Was it really so bad to stuff their feelings for other people away and just bask in the sensual goodness of their relationship? Axel didn't think so. Eventually both of them would sort their feelings out. Eventually Demyx would realize he was head over heels for Zexion and dump him. Eventually everything would work out.

Getting laid in the meantime was just a bonus.

••••••••••••••

**His phone was **ringing again. Though he mostly kept it on 'silent' mode, it still bothered him when it would suddenly vibrate violently in his pocket. He had disabled his voicemail in hopes that maybe his dad would take the hint and leave him alone, but this only caused him to call _twice_ as much. To make matters worse, Sora was blatantly annoyed with Riku's sudden refusal to carry his phone.

"What if I fall down an eighteenth century well? How will you know to come and rescue me if you don't have your phone on you?" he had asked.

"They're called firemen and you can reach them at 911," Riku had grumbled, clearly annoyed. "Can you _please_ just drop it while we're trying to do this?"

Sora had rolled his eyes, but went back to kissing along his boyfriend's neck anyway.

It was true, though. Riku didn't much like being without his phone solely because he was afraid Sora _would_ fall down some steps or somehow manage to break a needed limb. It wasn't like he was the only person who Sora could call, but it unnerved him nonetheless. Granted, Sora _could_ take care of himself (and he had without Riku's help for nearly four years), but he just felt better knowing he would be the first to know if Sora _did_ manage to fall down an eighteenth century well.

"Two muffins." A pause. "No, no. Wait, how about… a muffin and a cupcake?" Another pause. "Actually… Rox, what do you want?"

The blond stood a few paces behind his brother, sulking and looking bad-tempered. "I don't want anything."

Sora ignored him. "Okay. He'll have a big slice of your Man Up cake."

Riku chuckled. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Well, if you carried your phone on you…" the brunet stated, "you'd know I texted you and told you I was taking Roxas out to get some fresh air before he wastes away in the duplex." He leaned across the bake shop counter and mumbled to Riku, "Which will bring the property value down so if he's going to waste away I prefer it be somewhere public."

Roxas' eyes narrowed. "I _hear_ you, Sora."

His twin ignored him again. "So, right… Two muffins. Chocolate chip for me and..." He turned to look at Roxas who was looking even more bad-tempered than before. "Um… A blueberry muffin for the tyke."

"You want them warm?"

Sora gave his boyfriend a very serious look. "Riku, how _else_ would I want them?"

Roxas took a seat at one of the nearby tables and Sora followed him. Because the duplex had been eerily silent for the past two days and because Roxas had done nothing but sulk and skulk around the house in a very definite _mood_, Sora had made the decision to act as if everything in the world was sunshine and rainbows. He was also determined to avoid the subject of Axel at all costs.

"This is stupid," Roxas growled. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Why did you think taking me to see _your boyfriend_ at the stupid bake shop would make me feel better?"

"You'll feel better once you eat," Sora said dismissively.

The blond glared. "No, I won't. I'm not going to feel better until Ax –"

"Axe, huh? I'm more of an Oldspice guy myself."

Roxas stared. "Cut it out. I want to talk about –"

"Here you go." Riku set a chocolate chip muffin in front of Sora and a blueberry one in front of Roxas. "Anything else?"

"I can't believe you two!" Roxas exclaimed, causing several people to turn and look at him. "He's been gone for _two days_! _Two whole days_! Why aren't either of you worried?"

A look passed between Riku and Sora.

"What?" he growled. "What's the look for? Stop telepathically communicating!" More stares were passed to their table and Riku let a sigh pass his lips. He took a seat between Roxas and Sora and put his elbows on the table. His hands went up to rub at his face and when he removed them, he looked incredibly stressed.

"There's nothing we can do," Sora mumbled.

"Bullshit! Asshole right here," he yelled and pointed at Riku, "could quit lollygagging and find Axel and apologize to him!"

"I already _have_ apologized," Riku hissed. "And quit yelling. You're going to get me in trouble."

Sora looked between both of them. "Roxas, don't you think it's better to give Axel some time? Don't you think it's better to just… let him come to you?"

The blond made a face. "No. I think he needs to man up –"

Riku snorted and mumbled something like, "that's ironic." A yelp of pain followed his statement as Sora gave his shin bone a swift kick under the table.

"Have you tried talking to him?" Sora asked. "Have you tried calling or –"

"No!" Roxas yelled. "_He _left _me_! I can't beg him to come back! I can't spend all my time trying to make him realize that I –"

Sora and Riku both leaned in close to Roxas. Both held looks of curiosity and the smallest of smirks passed Riku's lips when the smallest of blushes crossed the blonde's cheeks.

"Shut up," he mumbled. "You guys need to track Axel down for me and bring him back to the duplex."

"Sorry." Riku leaned back in his chair.

"We're not henchmen," Sora added.

Roxas let his head hit the table with a dull 'thud' and his twin grimaced slightly at the sound. A whine left the blonde's lips and Riku made an awkward attempt to pat his back in the most plutonic way possible.

"Fuck. How can I fix this?" Roxas sighed and lifted his head.

Sora frowned. "Sometimes you can't fix things."

Riku nodded. "But you can ask for forgiveness."

Roxas gave Riku the most indignant look he could possibly manage to muster. "Shut up. I want _Sora's_ advice. Not your shitty, fortune cookie bullshit advice. Besides, didn't you already _say_ sorry to Axel? And is he with us now? No. No he's not. We don't even know _where_ he is. So don't give me shit advice that isn't going to work."

Riku gave Roxas a very hateful look and Sora mumbled, "Yea, Riku. What kind of shit advice is that?" before digging into his muffin without another word.

••••••••••••••

_**Vera's Technicolor Sunglasses**_

_There was once a kid named Vera who had a really badass pair of technicolor sunglasses. These sunglasses were the only kind in existence and Vera, who had stumbled upon them at a yard sale in his neighborhood, wore them around everywhere. He always talked about them. He always showed them off. He often thought he was better than all his friends because he had these technicolor sunglasses. Because Vera never shut the hell up about his sunglasses, some friendly neighborhood criminals beat the snot out of him and took his sunglasses. Vera then had a very expensive medical bill and no technicolor sunglasses._

Moral: Don't brag because criminals will beat you up and steal your shit if you do.

"I thought you were mad at him," Naminé called from her spot on her bed. "Why are you still writing fables if you're mad?"

Axel poked his head out from the bathroom, a toothbrush in his mouth. "Because… I don't know. Because I… I can?" He made a face. "I do what I want," he concluded.

Naminé let the smallest of smiles pass her lips. She flipped a page in the tattered notebook and heard Axel swish water around his mouth and then spit it into the sink. This would be his fourth day out of the duplex and second day staying in Naminé and Kairi's dorm room. Though he hadn't minded staying at Demyx's, Zexion had been _really_ grating on his nerves.

And considering he was currently searching for peace, he had decided it would be better to leave.

"How long are you going to live out of your backpack?" Kairi asked as she dropped his dirty clothes into her hamper. "And how long do are we supposed to pretend we don't know where you are?"

Axel leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom and shrugged. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and let a sigh pass his lips. "I don't know. Forever?"

Kairi frowned and crossed her arms. "You can't run away from your problems forever."

Naminé looked up from the tattered notebook and slipped from the bed. She stood next to Kairi and nodded. "She's right. Eventually, you –"

"They aren't _my _problems," Axel interrupted. "_I _didn't help Riku cheat on Sora. _I _didn't take advantage of Roxas. _I _didn't stab my brother in the back. I'm running away from the train wreck that is Sora, Roxas, and Riku."

The girls exchanged a look. Naminé grabbed Axel's tattered notebook from her bed and clutched it tightly. "You obviously still care if you're still writing…" she pointed out gently.

"Jeez, can't a guy get a little time to himself?" He reached up to rub at his tired eyes. "What's it to you two anyway? Why's it matter if I just wash my hands of them?"

Naminé opened her mouth to begin a gentle, but firm speech about why it mattered, but Kairi beat her to it. "Because Roxas hasn't given a shit about anyone since our mom died. He cares about you. He actually bothers to show something that isn't hate, resentment, or anger when you're around. He _smiles_ when he sees you. His face lights up. His world is all rainbows and puppies and candy when you're in it. He –"

"Okay, okay! I get it," Axel snapped. The _last_ thing he wanted to hear about was how much Roxas _cared_ about him. He certainly hadn't cared enough to mention that he backstabbed his brother and stole his boyfriend. He hadn't bothered to mention that he _slept_ with Axel's _best friend_.

Well, former best friend now. At the moment, he couldn't even think about Riku without feeling every muscle in his body tense.

"Are you guys like… professional stalkers?" the redhead asked. "I barely ever see you around but you know everything about Roxas."

Naminé offered him a small smile. "Not stalkers. Just girls."

And that was when Axel learned that girls weren't nosey. They were just hypersensitive to the finer points of love.

"Hey, Axel?"

The redhead looked over at Kairi who was looking past him and into the bathroom. "Whose… Whose toothbrush were you using exactly?"

His lips curled into a smirk and he shrugged, neither confirming nor denying that he had just used her toothbrush.

••••••••••••••

"**No." Zexion crumpled **the poorly written note in his hand and his cheeks burned with anger. "No, no, no, no. A hundred thousand times _no_."

Demyx glanced coolly at his friend from over his shoulder. He was sitting in his beanbag chair in his room, flipping idly through a comic book Axel had left by mistake. "I thought you weren't talking to me."

"I wasn't and after we resolve this, I won't be."

Demyx dropped the comic and stood suddenly. "Good. I say yes."

Zexion glared. "No. I don't want him living here. I don't _care_ what kind of nonsense he's gone and involved himself in elsewhere, I do _not_ want him living here."

The blond crossed his arms over his chest."Too bad, Zex. There's nothing wrong with him being here if he pays rent. You don't own this house."

He passed Demyx a cool look. "Neither do you."

They glared at each other and stood in a very heated, very tense silence. Today marked the sixth day Axel wasn't at the duplex and though he had left for a few nights to stay somewhere else, he had showed back up early this morning looking rough. Zexion had never seen Axel with any kind of facial hair. Seeing him with stubble had been… well, strange.

"If he moves in, I'll move out," Zexion threatened.

Demyx tensed and froze and then quickly recollected himself. "Good. I'd rather live with Axel anyway."

Zexion felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment. "I… Well, I … Good! Fine then! I've grown tired of living with you anyway!"

The blond tried to mask the hurt that crossed his features. "Well… You're… quiet! And… and I hate quiet! And you make me feel stupid sometimes! And… and I've been using your toothbrush every morning for the past year!"

Zexion couldn't help the involuntary shiver that shot down his spine. "You… You've been… You've been using my _toothbrush_?" He could handle being insulted (sort of) and he could handle Demyx yelling at him and being upset. However, he had a _thing_ about his toothbrush and he was a firm believer that his toothbrush should not go in anyone else's mouth.

"Well yea…" Demyx uncrossed his arms and looked at the floor. "I accidentally left mine at my mom's house so I used yours one morning and I meant to buy a new one! I just kept forgetting…"

Zexion stared, his lips slightly parted. Another chill shot down his spine and he left the room with a rough slam of Demyx's bedroom door. All he could think about was all the times Demyx had _blown_ Axel and then _used his toothbrush_.

All he could think about was moving out and not living with Demyx anymore.

All he could think about was Axel and how unfair it was that _he_ got Demyx.

••••••••••••••

_**The Klepto and **__the Clerk_

_Kyle the Klepto stole anything that caught his eye. From wigs to women's clothing to cigars to children – anything was fair game to a kleptomaniac. When a new market opened up in his town, Kyle the Klepto knew he must steal from there. So every day after school, he would walk into the market, pretend to look around while stealing things, and then he would leave. But one day the handsome store clerk who _knew_ what Kyle was doing and had always known what he was doing, stopped Kyle the Klepto from leaving the store.  
"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't let you leave. You've stolen something from this store."  
Kyle the Klepto, who had been caught stealing many times before, crossed his arms in teenaged defiance and snorted. "Yea, like what?"  
And the store clerk honestly replied, "My heart."_

Moral: Sometimes theft can lead to good things (like sex with saucy store clerks).

He drew a hash mark in the top corner on the last page of his notebook and let a heavy breath leave him. Today marked the tenth day he hadn't gone back to the duplex. He had gone back around the seventh day, but only to get more clothes and his toiletries. No one had been home when he arrived and Axel had been quite thankful for that. He was beginning to look rough and he knew that if he saw Roxas, if he saw the worry and hurt reflected in those blue eyes, he'd crumble.

Because he was a sap and he was in love and though he wanted to believe living outside Roxas' bubble was a _good_ thing, he knew it wasn't.

"Nice stubble."

Axel made a move to stand when he heard the voice, but then stopped when he saw chocolate brown hair instead of sun kissed blond. He had no reason to ignore or avoid Sora. In fact, he felt _badly_ for leaving the brunet to deal with all the drama in the duplex by himself.

"Can I sit?" Sora asked.

Axel nodded. He was sitting in a quiet coffee shop a few blocks from campus. Zexion and Demyx had been in a nasty screaming match and the redhead, searching for inner and outer peace, had made a quiet exit. Usually he would go sit in the park or at the bakeshop where Riku worked, but… Well, things were different now. Ten days and things were already so different.

"You look like hell," Sora commented lightly. "Are you living on the street or something?"

"Worse – with Demyx."

The brunet smiled and then made a slight face. "Roxas' head would explode if he knew that."

Axel rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'm surprised you haven't strangled him yet."

"Well, he's my brother and I was always taught to kill _outside _the family," Sora joked.

Axel wanted to smile, but it seemed like effort so he just sort of shrugged. He was exhausted from running around, place to place, while trying to keep up with his school work and sort out how he felt about everything. He wasn't exactly sad, per se, but he wasn't exactly happy either. He just _was_ and that was... a very strange feeling for Axel.

To just _exist_ was so monumentally boring.

"Axel." Sora leaned forward slightly and made eye contact with the other. "What are you trying to accomplish exactly?"

He shrugged and then crossed his arms. "I don't really want to talk and… and I don't want to snap at you, Sora. I'm not mad at you and I'm sorry I left the duplex, I –"

"Wait, you're apologizing _to me_?" He raised his eyebrows.

Axel shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well… Well yea. I feel bad. I didn't know what they had done to you and I… and I left you to deal with that by your –"

"I've been dealing with what happened for years," Sora answered honestly. "You suddenly disappearing from the duplex doesn't bother me." He paused. "I don't mean that in a bad way. I just mean it's not tearing me to pieces that you're not there."

Axel shrugged and they sat in what he felt was a very strained, very uncomfortable silence. He reached out and closed his notebook and then looked everywhere but at Sora. He looked way too much like Roxas and it was really bothering him.

"When are you coming back?" he asked. "Roxas is dying to know where you are and Riku is wallowing about how badly he messed things up. It's a giant wrist-cutting fest at the duplex and everyone could use some of your carefree attitude to lighten the mood."

"I'm not feeling all that carefree."

Sora made an agitated noise somewhere in his throat. "Okay, then I'll explain to you what I explained to them. The only person who got legitimately hurt by Roxas and Riku was me. I'm not downplaying how you feel, Axel, but I am saying that if I've managed to wade through what they did, then you can get over being lied to."

A blush crossed his cheeks and he looked down in an attempt to hide it. "It's not just about the lie. It's… it's everything that follows the lie. Roxas and Riku are backstabbers. They're cheaters and they're liars. Roxas is _your brother _and look what he did to you. I mean, fuck – if he can do _that_ to his own flesh and blood, what the hell kind of shit will he do to me?"

Sora felt his cheeks heat, but not in embarrassment. "You don't know the whole story," he snapped. "You have no idea what was going on with Roxas or with Riku or with me. You don't –"

Axel shook his head. "I don't need to. There is no good excuse for why two people would do that to someone they say they love."

The color in his cheeks deepened and his blue eyes narrowed. "Don't act like you don't have darkness in your heart. You've had no problem running around behind Demyx's back with Roxas."

Axel glared. "Roxas started it!" he snapped. "And I don't _love_ Demyx!"

"It takes two to tango!" Sora snapped back. "He loves you and you're just using him!"

Axel blushed and looked somewhat taken aback. "I… I am not! I just…"

The brunet shook his head. "Everyone is capable of deceit. That's why we have forgiveness."

They fell silent and the tension between them reminded Axel of Roxas. The way Sora pouted, the way his brows came together, and the way he glared at Axel all made the redhead deeply miss the blond boy he was trying so hard to get away from. His green eyes lingered on the curve of Sora's lips and then he looked away, his cheeks adorning a light pink color.

He missed Roxas' lips.

"How… How did you forgive them?" the redhead mumbled. "How _could_ you forgive them?"

Sora let the hateful look fall from his features. He leaned back in his chair, put his arms behind his head, and jokingly said, "I'm just the epitome of righteousness."

Axel smirked. "And so modest too."

The tension died somewhat between them when Sora let a small smile cross his lips. He stretched his arms in the air and then breathed a soft sigh. "I didn't forgive them right away because I was young and I was hurt and I wanted them to hurt too. But then my mom died and… And I started seeing everyone's shortcomings." Sora dropped his gaze to the floor. "I knew what my mom was before she ever died and Naminé told me Roxas had been acting on her advice."

His green eyes went slightly wide and he looked at Sora. "Wait, what?"

A sigh left the brunet's lips and he ran a hand through his brown locks of hair. "There's a lot you don't know, Axel, and it isn't because everyone is trying to keep secrets from you. Haven't… Haven't you ever done something or been involved in something bad and you'd rather just forget it ever happened then relive the bad memories over and over again?"

Axel thought about this for a moment and then slowly shook his head. That wasn't to say he had never acted in a less than reputable manner. But he had had a normal upbringing with a normal family and he had never been involved in anything quite as scandalous as what Riku, Roxas, and Sora had been involved in.

Sora made a face and Axel let his shoulders drop slightly. "What else do I not know? What kind of darkness is everyone hiding?"

Sora sighed. "Riku and Roxas both were abused by their parents. They were both mistreated by people they thought they could trust. I was able to forgive them because I realized they were both damaged. That doesn't _excuse_ what they did, but it's easier to swallow knowing Roxas was being ill-advised and Riku's lack of parents meant a lack of control."

Axel shifted. "What happened?" He paused. "You can't drop a bomb like that and not say anything. I don't know anything about Riku and all Roxas has done is talk about how _great _your mom was."

Sora caught his lower lip between his teeth and then gently sighed. "I can't tell you all the intimate details about Riku because it's not my place. I also don't know much except the surface story of what happened. As for Roxas…" He paused. "Our mom was extremely manipulative and demanding from the beginning. She would mention how we all looked alike, how she could barely tell us apart, how she really only needed _two_ of us. She would point out how Roxas was just a replica of me and how Naminé was a replica of Kairi. So, you know… when you're five and being told you're just a _lesser version _of your siblings, you start trying really hard to gain your mother's affection."

Axel watched Sora carefully. He knew his eyes were wide, his features molded into slight shock. It was strange to hear about Mrs. Badcock in an unfavorable light after all Roxas did was talk about how perfect she had been.

"Naminé never seemed bothered by it, but Roxas…" Sora shook his head. "It _really_ got to him. Anything I did, he had to do it better. Anything I had, he had to have too. When we started getting grades in school, his scores were always just a little lower than mine and our mom acted like this was a _huge_ deal. So Roxas started trying to gain her affection in other ways. Unfortunately, most of these ways involved skipping school and forcing my mom to stay home from work. She was all about her career and she was all about business. Roxas never being in school really upset her."

Axel shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Sora was looking everywhere but at him.

"So one day, she told Roxas he was _her favorite_." The contempt in Sora's voice surprised Axel. He had heard the brunet snap or yell, but hearing disdain in his voice was unsettling. "Roxas did _everything_ she said after that. It didn't matter what kind of terrible thing she wanted. He was so afraid of falling out of favor with her, he would do _anything_." Sora caught Axel's eye briefly.

"She told him to break you and Riku up?" the redhead asked quietly. His adoptive parents hadn't been around much since he and his adoptive brother had gone to college (they spent a majority of their time traveling), but they would have never done something like this to their kids. Not even Axel's real mom, who had given him up for cocaine, would do something like that.

"More or less," Sora mumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the floor. "Riku tried to tell me _he_ initiated everything with Roxas, but I knew he was lying. I knew he was just trying to save my relationship with Roxas. But… But that's how I forgave them. I'm not saying he didn't act on his own free will, but he was a little brainwashed. Riku just had zero parental guidance or control. I don't think he really understood what trust meant until he broke mine."

Axel played with the edge of his notebook. He had that same weird feeling that he was somehow spying and he figured it was because this information was coming from Sora and not Roxas. He cleared his throat a little nervously. "Does Roxas know? Did… did he ever see your mom for what she really was?"

The brunet gave a hesitant half-nod. "He told her he hated her and then she died. I'm not sure if the way he remembers her is his mind's way of protecting him from her abuse or if he's trying to alleviate the guilt he feels by turning her into something she wasn't." Sora shrugged. "Roxas hasn't been okay since she died. He hasn't been in a place where we could all sit down and talk honestly about it."

Silence fell between them and Axel suddenly felt even worse about leaving the duplex. Now he had another set of emotions to deal with. Now he had to change how he felt about what Roxas did to Sora. Did this new information make the blonde's actions any less hurtful? Axel didn't think so. However, he did feel somewhat relieved to learn that Roxas wasn't _wholly_ bad.

Brainwashed. He sort of liked that term to describe his moody love interest.

"You need to come back," Sora said.

Axel looked at him. "What? No, I… I can't. Not yet. I –"

"You have no idea what you do to Roxas. He's been different since you moved in and now that you've left, he's gone right back to square one. I want you to come back because I think… I think you can fill the giant, gaping hole our mom left in Roxas' heart. I think you can take her place because you're _like_ her, Axel."

The redhead gave Sora a very offended look.

Quickly, the brunet shook his head. "No, no… Her _good_ qualities. They did exist, just not in mass. Just… Please think about it or… or at least _talk_ to Roxas or something. I never realized he was getting better until you left."

Axel didn't say anything except for a mumbled 'goodbye' when Sora stood up to leave. He felt badly for Roxas already and now he felt even worse. His mom was dead and gone and Roxas missed her and she didn't _deserve _to be missed. She didn't _deserve _the love Roxas had for her or the sadness he felt because she was gone. She had ruined him and because she was dead, she couldn't undo her dirty work.

But maybe Axel could.

A sigh left the redhead's lips and he opened up his notebook. He flipped to the next clean page and uncapped his red pen.

_The Pen and the Hand_

_There once was a redhead who was head-over-heels for this blond boy he knew. But the blond boy suffered from pretty deep emotional wounds and was quite content to just stick out the rest of his life all by himself. The redhead, however, wouldn't dare let something as tragic as that happen. So one day the redhead trapped the blond boy in the car with him and forced him to talk about dating while also trying to coerce him into going on a date. But the blond boy was fearful and he said the redhead wasn't his type (which was just nonsense). So the redhead, ever determined to make the blond boy his, struck up a deal with his love interest.  
"If I write and publish a book, will you marry me?"  
And after the blond boy finished laughing at the absurdness, he said yes._

_My name is Axel and this is the origin of my fables._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **This was the most difficult chapter I have ever had the displeasure of writing. At around 8,000 words I wanted to stop, but I didn't want to make the chapter short because I already knew it was going to be late. So I made it extra long.

Though Sora has shed some light on the whole 'mother' situation, that's not the end of that plot, I promise. I just really didn't want to reveal everything because 1) this chapter was getting out of control in length and 2) I hate it when two characters sit down and it's just long, long, long dialogue for pages. I also felt it would be kind of a bummer for Sora to just sit there and explain things, especially since his view of their mother is different from Kairi or Naminé's view.

Cloud and Leon will be showing up again. Maybe I'll add a bit of pointless Cleon fluff in there, but I'm really against filler (though I might do a short one-shot detailing their adult version of cops and robbers). If you haven't noticed, notice now! I have posted a new chapter story (_Guilty Conscience_). It's for all the Demyx x Zexion fans (the twelve or so that exist)! But never fear – I can't write anything without Sora and Riku or Axel and Roxas.

Before the shameless advertising ends – let's all take a gander at **Aindel S. Druida's profile page** because she is an excellent writer and an excellent beta-editor. Most of you can probably tell which chapters she edits and which ones she doesn't. She's also the beta-editor for _Guilty Conscience_. Hooray for proper grammar!

Okay, oaky. I'm done with the brazen promoting. The next chapter for _Axel's Fables _will hopefully be up around the beginning of March. I'm hoping it'll be way easier to write than this chapter. Also please note: this story is probably going to be over within the next 3-4 chapters. Don't fret because that's actually like… 66-88 pages.

Thank you everyone who reviews, alerts, favorites, and even bothers to give this story a glance. I appreciate all the awesome scrutiny, all the time spent reading, and all the blatant flattery. You guys are really terrific and I appreciate all of you.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**It Started with a Paopu: **Originally it was going to be Sora and Roxas who spilled the beans to Axel by mistake. But I sort of liked this way better. Yea, I have noticed the amount of just… poop on ffnet now. Sometimes I find stories that sound really super interesting, but then they're riddled with grammar mistakes or it's… extra super dramatic. And then every other story has to do with someone's OC. There are some really, really good authors though whose stories are WAY under credited. Currently, I'm all excited about _Don't Forget I Love You _by mumblybee. I love the way she writes Axel and her story makes me laugh my ass off. I also really like _Pencil Me In _by LifesLover particularly because the Zemyx section on ffnet is just sad. There are so few stories and the stories that exist consist of Demyx acting… so, so, so amazingly stupid (like borderline retarded) and Zexion acting really unlike himself / helpless.  
Um… I'm going to stop pimping authors and their stories now.

**IchiakiI: **Sometimes wearing sunglasses helps. Err, not if your retinas are bleeding though. Bleeding retinas is bad. Maybe your eye doctor can help, but I know sunglasses can help if you spend a lot of time on the internet. … Maybe I just made all that up. But huzzah! I'm glad you liked this chapter. I actually meant to post this chapter sooner, but I kept going back and rewriting it. The original version just… contained WAY too much information and it was a bit too dramatic for my liking. I'm trying to keep things mostly light so this story doesn't turn into a wrist-cutting festival.

**Miyuki-ice-fox: **Whoops. I didn't mean to make you cry! Though the last chapter was filled to the max with crazy angst and so was the chapter before that. But that's okay! Because I tried making this chapter happier (err, funnier maybe) and I'm going to attempt to break up the anxiety of things by bringing back the hilarity that once filled this story.  
It seems to be everyone's birthday! When is your own? You can pretend it's an early birthday gift! Actually, let's both pretend like I knew your birthday was coming up and this was an early birthday gift. :D

**Catch the Stillicide: **Chapter 9 was probably the most drama-intense chapter. I don't foresee another super-extra-drama chapter (maybe towards the end, but nothing quite like that).  
Wow, really? I have a really hard time writing fight scenes because I can see them in my head, but then they always sound choppy on paper. To avoid choppiness I try to use small analogies. I hate writing something like "then he hit him and then he hit back and then he hit him again and blahblahblah" because it just sounds… bad. I'm glad you thought it was flawless! It was rather difficult to write.  
Yea. She's definitely pretty bad. Riku being able to see her like that, as well as the psychological explanation for why he kept along with Roxas even after being committed to Sora, will eventually all come out. You'll hate her more after you read more about her, but that's all right. She's now there to be hated, so hate away!  
I also hate drama in real life. I like drama I can control or drama where I can be a silent, third-party observer. Any other kind of drama is just taxing and usually very stupid. Good to know about your eyes. I'm always afraid someone will want to be compensated for their visit to the local eye doctor.

**Neitzarr: **Ah, I see. I was wondering because 'neit' in Russian means 'no.' Though the English spelling might be 'nyet' or something like that. The Russian spelling, to an English speaker, would look like 'Het.' Except the 'H' (and the 'T') would be a tiny capital and it makes an 'n' sound and not an 'h' sound.  
Of course Axel's words in the letter will come out soon! As for the beginning, that's kind of a small rift in plot. I had it set up so Axel and Roxas knew each other in high school, but not to the extent that I've written them. However, yes – Roxas' attitude toward Axel in the beginning is a byproduct of 1) not having spoken to Axel in a four years and 2) Axel not seeming to remember who he is (which I would do my best to pretend I didn't know someone I used to like if they've been ignoring me for the past four years. Talk about embarrassing). But yea – I could've done a better job explaining / working out plot. Just one of the many hazards of posting incomplete stories online.

**TheAnnoyingVoice: **No worries. I've done that type of thing before too. I actually dreamt I had finished writing a chapter for _Axel's Fables_. I was rather disappointed when I woke up.  
Yea, I really liked showing the bond between Axel and Roxas. Their scenes were fun to write because they were friendship scenes more than couple scenes. I also liked being able to point out that Axel has the ability to help people forget about their problems for a little while.  
I really appreciate your thoughts on the fight scene seeing as how I just… thought it sucked. I have trouble with fluidity in fight scenes which means I try to use a lot of analogies or describe the fight indirectly. Also, the tension between Riku and Axel was never planned. I meant for them to be more distant the closer they got to this moment, but I actually really liked what happened instead.  
Actually yes – Roxas bailing Axel out of jail was how that all was supposed to go down. However, I remembered I had written Zexion mentioning Axel's cousin dating Leon and I thought that would be the perfect moment to drop Cloud into the story (because he hasn't shown up once at all). And he, Leon, Zexion, and Demyx will definitely be coming into play when the story begins to close. Hooray!  
I was actually surprised no one has said anything about how selfish Riku and Roxas are being about the whole 'high school' thing because it really _was_ Sora who got hurt. I mean, yea, Riku and Roxas did too but they created the whole situation. He did come off as me-me-me, but I sort of felt he deserved it and that maybe it should be pointed out.  
The dance scene was my way of trying to break-up tension and add humor. There has been an amazing amount of angst going on and to keep everyone from cutting themselves I have to drop in a couple of lines here or there. :D

**LifesLover: **That's a really fantastic idea and I wish I had thought about it earlier. Setting up each chapter with a fable would've been awesome, but my lack of foresight and proper plot planning told me that the story would be one-dimensional and the fables would come in all the time.  
I try and stay away from that proverbial black cloud. I usually hate drama-filled stories too and the ones that are usually decent or good are ones that just touch the tip of that dramatic iceberg. But yes, it's extremely irritating to be reading about how Roxas/Axel/Sora/Riku/etc was raped, beaten, abandoned, tried to commit suicide, has no friends, and also has some rare mental disability that just conveniently comes in and out of play.  
Yes, the mother really deserves a proper explanation. Sora offered some insight about her in this chapter, but that part of the plot is definitely not over yet. I think their father, who's been largely absent and I think mentioned only twice, may have something to say about it near the end. I'm still playing around with that plot line because there's so much I can do with it. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be bringing her back from the dead but only because I think you're right – that _is_ taking things a little too far. That's making things a little too dramatic though I promise a satisfactory explanation will be granted.  
I'm glad I could befuddle you and make you angry at Demyx. Everyone is a bit of an asshole in this story, but everyone is sort of an asshole in real life (even people like Demyx are prone to douchebaggery). I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far!

**SSanity: **I suppose they didn't help Roxas because they couldn't. Roxas was so obsessed with their mother and very defensive of her that it would've been really hard to tell him she was wrong or bad or cruel. He probably wouldn't have believed it.  
I'm actually not sure how legal it is for Officer Leonhart to be doing all of that. I think if he really existed, he would've already been fired or stabbed by someone he was hassling. I was actually trying to figure out how _much_ money Axel would owe, but I can guess that by now it's a nice, hefty sum! And now he's got another arrest on his record – poor guy!  
The letter will come out in due time and it will be satisfactory. As for Roxas disliking Axel in the beginning, yes. He was still pretty put-off about the whole 'Axel leaving and not saying anything.' And Axel, who Roxas had been ignoring for nearly four years, was content enough to just not mention anything because that'd be sort of… awkward (possibly embarrassing). I suppose that deserves an explanation too :P especially because it's sort of sitting there like a plot hole!

**RainbowNinjaD: **I suck at Just Dance. I can never manage to do the moves at the right time. I also tend to get REALLY lazy about my Wii-mote and I do things like stuff it in my pocket (which makes my score drop by a lot). My sister is quite excellent at it though. Of course, she doesn't dance like a seizing animal so that may be why.

**Animaluvr4life: **Whoa! You have a friend that's going through something similar? Jesus, I feel for her. I've had nowhere near something like this happen to me. The worst I've had was dealing with someone else's angry ex acting like a complete tool. My condolences go to your friend. Poor girl.  
Yea, that's pretty sick, huh? My mom would say "you're my favorite" to like… our cat (jokingly, of course. She's Russian, not mad). I don't know any pare – no, wait, yes I do. My ex's mom was prone to doing things like that (telling her kids who the favorite was). But she was all sorts of fucked (not as fucked as Roxas' mom, but close).

**Vithian: **Over there? Are you British? Living in the UK where they spell things with a 'u' in them and call trash 'rubbish' and apparently spell jail 'gaol'? Speaking of British English… One of the Japanese exchange students at my university was taught British English. We had to explain that garbage and 'rubbish' are the same thing and 'jumper' doesn't mean sweater in the US. Rubber also doesn't mean eraser here. Teehee.  
I think the mom is a bit crazy regardless of whether or not I say she is or isn't. No one in their right mind does something like that to their kids. That's a pretty good explanation though. She was definitely trying to stunt him (as well as separate him from his siblings). But now she's dead and the dead can't do shit.  
It has to end! Because, eventually, the story will just become filler if it doesn't.

**Reku14: **I think Riku is just sick and tired of being blamed even though it was his fault. It's kind of like… He can't really do anything to fix it, so all he can do is be sorry about it. But being sorry only gets him so far and it being continually pointed out and being told it's his fault is probably pretty… upsetting. Or at least irritating.  
Axel really does keep getting the end of the short stick! I like doing it to him though because he knows how to take unluckiness in stride.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Happy extra-late birthday! Hooraaaay! Another year closer to death!  
I promise the mom will have a nice explanation and yes – that _was_ a horribly timed combination of events. I liked the unfairness of all of it though because life is generally unfair and anything less would be extremely mediocre. I promise Zexion will have his way eventually. Everyone will get their happy ending.

**KitsuneNoSeiza: **Leon is an asshole, but he's great for moments when I really need someone to just come in, act like a douche, and then make a swift exit. Leon is emotionless enough to accomplish this task. I'm glad the flashbacks were clear enough to clear things up. Sometimes I get confused about what happened and I have to sift through all those flashbacks and try and figure things out! Such a pain!

**Alstarryn: **This review is so cute. I'm really glad you like this so much (and that the length of it did not deter you). I hope this chapter was just as satisfactory as the rest of them.

**Red Chase: **There are… some hints? But not really. There's no real explanation yet for her behavior (aside from the small snippet Sora offered in this chapter). The letter is something I think everyone will be surprised about. A lot of people are assuming it was Riku who didn't give Roxas the letter (good assumption based on the clues, but still not totally right). You'll just have to sit tight and find out!

**CaramelCoveredSunset: **Magical thinking! Isn't it the best when you want something and it's given to you? That's awesome.  
I fully believe in showing each side of every character. No one is all good and no one is all bad. Everyone is prone to act like a douchebag and writing people any other way seems very unrealistic. I also feel badly for Axel. He's really suffering a lot of abuse in this story (but he takes it so well).

**Xacilia: **Hooray for keeping open a tab with my story! :D I'm relieved that no one's in the dark too because now I can pretty much freely write without having to worry about one character mistakenly spilling the beans to another one. Riku is just… the bearer of bad news throughout most of this story. I think that might be why he's getting such a bad rep (err… _aside _from all the reasons he _should _have a bad rep). Maybe at some point he'll find some good news to deliver.

**Anon: **In a perfect world, I would.  
It's just a plot hole. To be honest, I really thought this story was going to be a super one-dimensional tale of how two guys ended up married thanks to Aesop. And, in a perfect world, that would've happened. But because of my lack of foresight and inability to effectively plan, plot holes occurred. Originally, Axel and Roxas knew _of_ each other in high school. I guess they weren't exactly the best of friends (I mean, calculate the time they spent together and it's like… less than five months), but yea – it's still a plot hole. Oh well.

**BubbleFairy03: **I really enjoy the nickname Mama Badcock because it makes her sound exactly how she is: a sweet exterior, but an exterior that is terrifying and rotten. The unraveling of her character will come soon, dear reader, because she definitely needs an explanation to back-up (or at least explain) why she was so stone cold crazy.  
Oh, the letter… Maybe it was Riku who didn't give Roxas the letter, maybe not. That's something else that will get an explanation! As for the snowball fight, that already got an explanation. Officer Leonhart is one cold motherfucker and I sort of really like him that way. I also liked being able to bring in Cloud like that. He's fun to write (and a wee bit scary when paired next to Leon). That would've been total shit to drop him in at the last second! Though I did wait a nice long while before bothering to write him. My bad.  
You can google _Aesop's Fables _and they'll come up. A lot of them are cute, but some of them are just plain weird. And some of the morals I legitimately don't understand and I want to believe it's because English isn't my first language and _not_ because I'm dumber than a bag of hammers.

**Miggery: **Oh, the letter… So much mystery involved in the letter.  
Yea, Zexion did get used. He's a douche for most of this story, but it still sucks seeing him get used like that (especially by someone like Demyx). Of course he'll have his way eventually (because he's Zexion and Zexion will make sure he gets his way).

**Fredrikness: **Yea. You very well may be the only person who can look at Riku and not cringe. Though I have to say, as the story trucks along toward the end, I'm having a much easier time writing him. I'm not so critical of his behavior now that I'm working out all the kinks of his past (as well as the quadruplet's past). Hopefully by the end, everyone will at least be able to tolerate Riku (maybe).

**TopHatGlow: **TopHatGlow! I've been wondering where you've gone off to. I actually have a pretty good memory for remembering which people consistently review.  
Originally she was just a mom who had a problem with having a 'favorite' child and then somehow she managed to get some Chemical X and she turned into this completely terrifying, monstrous human being. I wouldn't want her to be my mom. Well… If I got to be Roxas and date Axel, _maybe_ I'd want her to be my mom. But only maybe.  
I'm actually glad to hear you say that. I actually get pretty emotional when writing and I think that manages to pass to the readers. I was super pissed off at Riku when I was writing the fight scene. So much so that my roommate was like "dude, what are you pissed about?" and I snarled something like "this guy – fuck, man, you know? He's just such a dickhole sometimes!" and my roommate didn't question it (which was good. I would hate having to explain that I take characters from a children's video game and make them do naughty things to each other. Talk about awkward). But I'm glad the feelings get conveyed and passed around. I'd be rather upset if my readers weren't as torn up as I am.

**Verovex: **Wow. Thank you so much. My only qualm with this particular story is my lack of foresight when I first began writing it. I can already see a few minor (I believe them to be minor, but people judge everything differently) plot errors and it drives me insane. But your review makes me feel like maybe it's a wee bit okay because this is my first chapter story and the way I write kind of makes up for it? I can hope so anyway.  
Writing their personalities in stories is always iffy for me. When I begin to write, I have to feel a certain way about what I'm writing. This is kind of a problem because I noticed that because I dislike Riku, I keep making him look worse to the readers. I also try not to have overly dramatic stories associated with each person. I wanted Axel to be adopted / have his adoptive parents mostly out of the picture because I was hoping to convey that this is why Axel feels the need to be uncensored, loud, and somewhat obnoxious. I also wanted Riku to deal with the same kind of parental mistrust / misguidance that Roxas dealt with in hopes of explaining why he did what he did with Roxas even _after_ he was committed to Sora (of course, that will all come out in time).  
Sometimes I hate Roxas too and part of the reason I added the whole "psychological" aspect to the story was I wanted to know what people thought. Do most people think Roxas is at fault or do they believe his mother to be at fault? Most of the blame falls somewhere in-between the two, but Roxas, ultimately, acted of his own volition. His mother merely used the power of suggestion so is she _really _such a monster or is Roxas the real monster?  
I was actually really glad to be able to write "AXEL FINDS OUT" because it made conversations sometimes really difficult between certain characters. Even now that the _readers_ know everything that happened between Sora-Roxas-Riku, that doesn't mean _Sora_ knows. Which means I have to be careful of what I have Riku/Roxas say to Sora and vice versa because I don't want to make a mistake.  
I also think you're absolutely correct about Riku. Everyone (myself included) is so obsessed with what he did to Sora that no one stops to think about his subconscious motivations or how old he was. Of course, that's my fault because I've only briefly mentioned Riku's history so, again, that will definitely come in to play.  
Thank you so much for this review. I'm always afraid one day I will write and publish something and no one will care about it because maybe I'm **only** good at writing stories on ffnet. So if I do publish something I know at least one person will buy it. :D And I'm glad your vision is all right. In truth, I try to make the chapters about as long as they would be in a normal book. Because of the spacing, the chapters are actually a bit shorter than 20-25 pages, but whatever. It's still a lot to read and I think it puts a TON of people off (which is fine, of course. I wouldn't read my own work because I hate really, really retardedly long stories).  
Yes! I actually just discovered those little speech-bubble icons when mumblybee sent me a review response. However, I also discovered that some people (like mumblybee, actually) have their privacy settings set up so no one can send them private messages. I also like to write these out, reread them, marinate on them, and then change some things. I don't know why, but I'm crazy about the whole "rewriting" process.  
Goodness, this is long. But I figured a very, very nice review deserved a very long response. Thank you so much.

**0Life-is-a-Song0: **I tend to write instead of doing my homework (fuck Symbolic Logic!) and it usually is a nice trade. I can't believe you read this all in one sitting. I'm always really, really surprised when people do that because that's a LOT of fucking words and a LOT of fucking pages. At this point, this story actually could qualify as a real book (a short book though. It'd only be about 100 pages, but still).  
I do enjoy writing sunshine and roses sometimes. Though I try and stay away from crack and crack fiction because I find one gives me heart burn and the other makes me want to gauge my eyes out with a fork.  
I do try and keep things light. If it isn't a one-shot, I don't really enjoy angst. Some chapters have angst, but I try and keep most of them pretty funny and light. I don't want this to turn into a wrist-cutting fest because I don't want to owe people money for carpet cleaning. Blood doesn't come out for shit.

**Anonymoosefangirl: **Carmine is actually Latin for 'song.' My Latin is so rusty (which is sad because I'm in 201 right now) so I don't recall if Carmine is the nominative case or not and I'm too lazy to look it up. But, either way, it means 'song.' I google'd Carmine Complex though because I was curious. Did not know it was a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction (I never have time to go through stories and take a gander. So sad).  
Tearing up is fine because it lets me know that the emotion I am trying to convey is being conveyed. I would've tracked Axel down and jumped his bones right then and there, but that's the difference between Roxas and me. Roxas has real, heart-felt emotion and I would like to get laid.  
So much drama and so many unfinished plots! I'm going to really be scrambling to try and finish this up. I'm quite pleased with the progress though and I hope this update was quite satisfactory!


	11. He Becomes a Bit Weatherworn

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **This is late and I'm sorry. For those of you who follow GC then you know the lateness of this is attributed to me having a second job. For those of you who don't follow GC, the lateness of this is attributed to me having a second job. Because I now have two jobs and school, the chapters are going to slow down. My guess is a new chapter will surface every month to month and a half.  
On the upside (there is an upside!), the semester is halfway over. Once summer hits, it'll be back to a chapter every two weeks. I promise I won't just abandon my stories or suddenly disappear. If you think it's been a long while since an update, check my profile because I've probably posted some sort of message to the readers.  
Please feel free to send me a private message or e-mail me if nothing is posted. I check my e-mail three times a day. I can't promise I'll respond quickly (I forget), but I'll do my best to keep everyone informed. Anyway – onward to story!

**This is an edit so looky-look here: **So, this is late. Extra-late. Do you know when I put this on ffnet? Like a week ago. And that stupid error has raped me in the behind for the past week. I'm really sorry about all the trouble. I'm sorry if the story looks wonky, too. Apparently investing in an I.T. team that's worth a damn is low on ffnet's to-do list. I don't know if I'm going to continue to have trouble posting. I hope not, but we'll see. Okay, NOW onward to story!

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

XI – He Becomes a Bit Weatherworn

**Another hash mark,** another day. If he could be bothered to count all the hash marks he had made since he left the duplex, he would be able to say for sure when he had run away. But because it really bothered him that he was afraid to go home, he didn't want to count how many days it had been since he had turned into a coward.

He had seen Riku in passing and dutifully ignored him. When he caught sight of blond or spiked hair, he tried to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible (which was a definite challenge for someone as tall and wild looking as he was). He had stopped staying with Kairi and Naminé because they had tried multiple times to set him up so that he would be forced to talk to Roxas. Even though he knew it was only a matter of time before the girls attempted something like that, he was still offended when he had been forced to make eye contact with Roxas before quickly taking off in the other direction.

He was being a baby.  
And what was worse was everyone knew it.

"You can't hide forever."

Axel made a noise in his throat and mentally scolded himself when he realized he had been absentmindedly sketching Roxas' face. He quickly scratched it out with the red ink of his pen and then he tapped the end of the pen irritably against the kitchen table. Zexion leaned against the counter across from him, a coffee cup in his hand and his hair a wild mess.

"You can't continue to live here."

Axel curled his fingers in his long locks of red hair and gently tugged. "Get off my back, Zex. I'm really not in the mood right now." He hadn't been sleeping well. He hadn't slept at all the night before and though it was Monday and he had class, he wasn't going. He hadn't gone to any of his classes in almost two weeks.

Because Axel only _pretended _he didn't care much about anyone but himself. He was really good at fooling everyone into thinking his interior was just as tough and hard as his exterior. But he was a softie at heart. He was a hopeless romantic and hopelessly retarded when it came to love and Roxas Badcock.

"Mhm, that's nice," he stated casually, a gentle sigh following his statement. "You're _really _hurting my chances with Demyx, you know."

"In case you hadn't noticed," Axel responded through gritted teeth. "Demyx is _my boyfriend_." He knew Zexion was baiting him. A few weeks back, he and the smaller boy had gotten into a rather explosive argument and Demyx, after breaking them up, had made it very clear that if they couldn't get along then Axel would have to leave.

But only because Zexion paid rent and Axel didn't. _Not_ because maybe Demyx was construing his lust for Axel as love and _not _because maybe Demyx was just the slightest bit smitten with Zexion.

However, Zexion's lack of people skills meant he didn't construe the blonde's actions as anything more than loyalty to their longtime friendship. So now the schemer spent his time baiting Axel into fights and the redhead, knowing he could no longer safetly stay with Kairi and Naminé, had no choice but to deal with Zexion's repeated attempts to get the redhead to strike him. Generally, Axel kept his cool, but this morning was a bad one and his patience was thin.

It was the end of March. He had been gone from the duplex since the end of January. He hadn't seen Roxas except once. And Zexion was trying to shove him off the metaphorical edge he was currently standing on.

"I'm well aware, but let's be honest. Who's really better for him? The cowardly redhead who's using him for sex or the –"

Zexion smirked when Axel stood from the table and began throwing his things haphazardly into his backpack. He now carried the book bag everywhere with him because he was, essentially, homeless. By choice, of course, but that didn't make things any less difficult for him.

"What's the matter?" Zexion cooed. "Did I hit a nerve?"

Axel let his backpack fall to the floor and he made his way over to the shorter boy. He gripped the front of his shirt and the satisfied look that crossed the slate haired boy's features made Axel only want to strike him more. He was being pushed and he knew he shouldn't respond. He knew Zexion was just baiting him. He knew Demyx would side with Zexion regardless of what the other had done to enrage the fiery redhead.

"Are you going to hit me?" he asked. "By all means, please do."

It took Axel _everything_ to release the other and walk away. It took him all his will-power to scoop his backpack off the floor and continue to put his things away. It took every ounce of self-control to not knock that smug, self-satisfied look off Zexion's stupid face.

"You know Leon gave me a bit of interesting information…" He sipped his coffee and watched Axel carefully. "Something about Roxas being the love of your life?"

The redhead ignored him.

"You know, if I was Demyx I'd feel pretty betrayed if _my_ boyfriend was off proclaiming his love for someone else. And, correct me if I'm mistaken, but weren't you involved in a bit of infidelity with a blond? Is it safe to say that blond was _Roxas_?"

The name did something to Axel. He couldn't describe what, but it did _something_ to him that he didn't much like.

"I suppose we could keep this between us if you do the right thing and eradicate yourself from Demyx's life, but…" Zexion smirked. "But if you choose to continue to take what's rightfully mine, I'll have to spill the beans. It's my duty as his best friend."

Axel shook his head and mumbled something quite disparaging under his breath. He slung his backpack over his shoulders and he excited the kitchen, Zexion following a few paces behind him. He followed far enough away so that Axel couldn't turn around and smack him.

"So?" Zexion asked, his voice even. "Am I going to have to tell Demyx or are you going to leave?"

The redhead snorted and opened the front door. He didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to get away from Zexion. "Get Demyx to believe you and then maybe we'll talk." He walked out and slammed the door behind him as he left.

And Zexion was left glaring at the spot where Axel had just stood. He hated knowing that Axel knew Demyx just as well as he did. He hated knowing that the redhead was _right_. Demyx, currently blinded by love and lust, refused to believe anything truly heinous about Axel. It certainly didn't help that Zexion and Demyx were still, technically, fighting. Though they_ occasionally _talked (because, though he hated himself for admitting it, Zexion _needed_ Demyx in his life), things were still tense between them.

And he knew enough about his best friend to know the blond would be very suspicious if Zexion suddenly told him Axel had a humungous _thing_ for Roxas. Especially when Demyx knew how Zexion felt about him and how much he and Axel disliked one another.

He ambled back into the kitchen and refilled his coffee cup. He could hear the soft strumming of a sitar on the upper floor and he knew that meant Demyx must be awake. He grabbed another cup from the cabinet nearby and filled it with coffee and then he made his way over to the fridge and grabbed out a carton of milk. Demyx hated black coffee. Zexion loved it.

As he made his way back over to the counter, he stepped on a tattered notebook that laid on the kitchen floor. He bent down and retrieved the abused-looking thing and he knew immediate that this was Axel's notebook and he knew, from Demyx, that it was filled with all the fables the redhead had written.

Zexion set the milk carton down on the kitchen table and opened the notebook out of curiosity. Though he had stoutly refused to read anything written by someone as idiotic as Axel, he had always been just the smallest bit interested in how good and clever a writer the redhead was.

But because fate had a way of making things absolutely terrible for Axel, the first page Zexion flipped to was a page the redhead had dedicated solely to his love for Roxas.

This was _exactly_ what Zexion needed.

••••••••••••••

"**Who the hell **is calling you?" Sora mumbled groggily as he sat up in his boyfriend's bed and ran his hand through his tangled mess of hair. Originally the brunet thought Riku had set an alarm for eight in the morning. However, the continuous vibrating and ringing of the other's phone told him otherwise.

Riku, who usually had his phone on silent, mumbled something into his pillow before hanging his arm off the bed and blindly feeling for his buzzing phone. Once he had it (and it had stopped ringing), he flipped it open and turned it off.

But Sora was curious (and now awake) and he waited for his boyfriend to give some sort of explanation for the disturbance.

Riku, however, was content enough to continue to lay face-down in bed. He didn't have class until noon and he and Sora had been up quite late last night.

"Was it work?" Sora prodded.

"Don't worry about it." Riku yawned and turned over onto his back. A small sigh left his lips when Sora didn't lie back down in bed and, instead, chose to stare at him with a somewhat accusing look.

"Don't worry about it?" the brunet asked. "Someone just called you fifty thousand million times at eight in the morning. How do I not worry about that? How come _you're _not worried about that?"

Riku shrugged.

"Why can't I know?" Sora asked, clearly offended by his boyfriend's lack of trust in him.

"Sor, it's not a big deal," he half-whined. "Just go back to sleep."

"If it's not a big deal, why can't I know?"

Riku gave the brunet a look. "Because it is so extremely insignificant that the universe is liable to implode if I spend time telling you about it."

"Oh." Sora nodded his head. "Right. That makes sense."

His boyfriend sat up in bed. "What?" He raised his brows questioningly. "What, really?"

"Yea." Sora nodded and threw the blankets off himself. "Because like any good boyfriend who has been wronged by his partner before, I now have to assume something else is going on."

Riku made a disgusted noise and grabbed Sora's arm when he tried to get out of bed. "Whoa, whoa, wait a second. You think I'm _cheating_ on you?"

The brunet shrugged and looked away to mask the hurt that crossed his features. "What am I supposed to think?" he mumbled quietly.

Riku blushed. "I…" He wanted to be offended, but he knew better. He knew Sora had a right to be suspicious of him and his recent strange behavior. "I'm sorry. I'm not…" He sighed. "It's nothing like that, Sor. I just…"

The brunet glanced at the other, his blue eyes wide. "You know it's okay to be honest with me." Sora grasped Riku's hand and intertwined their fingers.

He squeezed the brunet's hand and sighed softly. "I know, I know. It's just… I don't tell anyone anything. I don't like spreading my dirty laundry all around."

A little smile curled Sora's lips upward. "I'm not anyone, Ri. I'm your boyfriend. Your dirty laundry is my dirty laundry." He shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone comes with baggage. The beauty in having someone who isn't _anyone_ is that they can lighten your load."

Riku thought about this for a moment. He supposed back in high school, when he and Sora had been together, there had always been a certain distance between them. He knew it was his fault. He never told Sora much of anything because he was afraid of mistakenly admitting to cheating. Riku was also exceptionally fearful of rejection.

He hated being judged. He wanted to be perfect so there was nothing _to_ judge. This was why he never told Axel anything. This was why he never told Sora anything. Rejection followed judgment and Riku had learned that being wholly honest with someone could be especially dangerous.

"You know, Riku…" The brunet squeezed his boyfriend's hand and leaned forward to place a brief kiss to his mouth. "We've been through Hell together. There's not much you could say or do now that would really shock me."

A little smile crossed the older boy's face because he knew it was true. Leave it to Sora to be the ever honest, ever present voice of reason. Leave it to Sora to break down complicated situations into easy, digestible pieces.

"It's my dad," Riku said finally. He stared at their laced fingers. "He's been calling me since…" He paused. He wanted to lie because he didn't want Sora to be mad at him for not being honest beforehand. However, he knew the truth had a way of muscling its way into his life unannounced and sniffing out his deceit. "Since October, maybe September. The calls stopped once my phone just… disappeared, but now he's calling again."

Sora raised a brow. "So just answer the phone."

He looked at the brunet as if he had just suggested Riku go outside and hula-hoop completely naked. "Um, no. He's fucking insane."

Sora frowned and made his way into Riku's lap. He sat sideways in-between his boyfriend's legs and wrapped his sun-kissed arms around the other's pale neck. "Wasn't he in jail?"

"Yea." He wrapped his arms around Sora's waist and held him close. "He killed my mom."

Sora didn't hide his shock. "Whoa… Okay, new plan. Don't answer your phone."

Riku smiled slightly and nuzzled his face into the other's mess of chocolate brown hair. "Good plan, Sor."

"But… Shouldn't he still be in jail if he killed your mom?"

"He didn't go to jail for that. Before he was arrested he told me he killed her, but by then it had been nearly three years and…" Riku paused. "And how in the world was anyone going to prove that?"

Sora shifted slightly and pressed a gentle kiss to Riku's neck. "What was he arrested for?"

"DWI. It was his third one within three years or something like that so they arrested him. He didn't bother fighting it. After my mom died, he… He sort of lost it. He was always an emotionally abusive fuck, but after she died he took to heavy drinking. My dad was like me," he explained. "He was smart like me, I mean. He was manipulative like me. But then he drank and his mind was just kind of everywhere. It was a relief when he was arrested."

Sora ignored the nagging voice that wanted him to ask _why_ Riku had never told him any of this before. The brunet supposed it wasn't that big of a deal, but he couldn't help but be just a little bit offended that his boyfriend had never shared with him. He also couldn't help but wonder how much Riku had told Roxas, if anything at all.

There would always be competition between him and Roxas even if they weren't competing.

"Why don't you see what he wants?" Sora asked carefully.

Riku paused. "Because he's a psycho. Chances are he just got out of jail and is looking for a handout or something."

Sora frowned and rolled this over in his mind. He played with a strand of the other's silver hair and then breathed a small sigh. "Or maybe he wants to apologize. You said he sort of lost it when your mom died, right? So maybe he lied when he said he killed her. Maybe he's looking to be honest with you and have something with you."

Riku didn't think so. He didn't bother mentioning his father had manipulated him into hating his mother. He didn't bother mentioning that because he knew Sora well enough to know that his boyfriend would begin to psycho-analyze him and then stumble upon a realization Riku had stumbled upon a long time ago.

Roxas was abused just like he had been and though they never talked about it (mostly because Roxas would be hard-pressed to admit his mother was purposefully harming him), Riku had sensed there was something… different about Roxas _and_ Naminé. Compared to Kairi and Sora, the two of them were… paler. They always looked sicker, thinner, much more frail then their tanned, bright-eyed siblings who chattered incessantly and never felt the need to have secrets.

There was also guilt behind Roxas' eyes and Riku had seen it from the very beginning. It was the same look he had in his own eyes.

They were both haunted and no matter how close Sora and Riku were, he and Roxas would always share this commonality.

"I won't pressure you. I just think that everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves."

Riku considered this carefully. Sora was right. His father probably _did_ deserve a second chance or at least a chance to fully explain himself. Riku also supposed that maybe a little bit of closure wouldn't be the worst thing for him. He had a bad habit of living in the past and maybe this would help him move on.

"Maybe…" he mumbled, his arms tightening around Sora's waist. "But let's talk about something else. Namely, why your boxers are on."

The brunet gave his boyfriend a look. "Creepy. Talking about your deadbeat dad puts you in the mood. You're lucky I'm not judgmental."

Riku didn't bother explaining that sex was just a really, really, _really _good distraction from life and all its problems.

Axel taught him that.

••••••••••••••

**His hood was **pulled over his head and his blond hair was mashed into a flattened mess. He was slightly wet because he had just been caught in a rainstorm that had appeared from nowhere. It was mid-afternoon and it had been relatively sunny all morning and though his sisters had warned him that there was a chance of rain, Roxas had decided against bringing an umbrella along with him to his classes.

And now he was stuck inside of a nearby bookstore waiting for the rain to let up so he could go back home to the duplex and sulk, think about Axel, sulk some more, toy with the idea of texting or calling him, and then sulk because he was too prideful to actually do anything like that. And then maybe he'd eat something and sleep.

This was how it had been for him since Axel had left.

He yanked the hood of his sweatshirt from his head and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to make it look halfway decent. He began walking through an aisle of books, his eyes scanning the titles with some interest, and when he breathed a little sigh, he noticed how quiet the bookstore was. No music played overhead and the people in the store were either completely silent or chatting very quietly amongst themselves.

Thunder boomed outside and Roxas knew it would be a while before he would be able to go home.

He walked through another aisle, mumbling "excuse me" to a young girl as he stepped over her outstretched legs. She sat with her back against one of the book shelves, a comic book in her hands and her eyes scanning each word with hunger. Roxas noticed her eyes were green like Axel's, but they were nowhere near as vibrant.

They were nowhere near as deep.

He made his way down another aisle of books and then over to a number of large, leather chairs that had been placed in a secluded area of the bookstore. The chairs sat back-to-back to one another and Roxas, hardly one to read books, grabbed a random book off one of the shelves he passed and sat in one of the comfortable chairs.

A grimace crossed his features when he realized he had grabbed a self-help book entitled _You, Your Mother, and Your Emotional Baggage. _It certainly seemed like fate was teasing him and he didn't much appreciate it. Roxas stood and quickly made his way over to a shelf where he could dump the book. It wasn't like anyone knew the details of his personal life or anything, but he still felt somewhat embarrassed by his random selection. He felt judged despite no one being around.

"I didn't know you could read."

The hair on the back of his neck stood when he heard Axel's voice. He knew his eyes were extremely wide and he knew how stupid he must've looked with his hand still touching the top edge of the silly self-help book. A blush crossed his cheeks and he quickly jerked his hand back, causing not only the self-help book but also three other books to come crashing down to the ground.

Roxas and Axel both bent down to retrieve them from the floor and the blond couldn't help but notice how close they were. He couldn't help but notice that Axel had a little stubble, that his eyes had dark circles underneath them, that he looked exhausted and weatherworn and a little bit like a stray. His hair was lacking in its normal, vibrant color and his jade eyes were rimmed red.

Roxas stood when Axel did and he found himself to be even more embarrassed when he realized he hadn't even picked any of the books up. But Axel either didn't notice or didn't care and he placed each book back in its place before giving Roxas a long, unreadable stare. The silence between them became awkward and it wasn't helped when the blond nervously cleared his throat.

"So…" Axel muttered.

"You look terrible," Roxas blurted.

"Thanks, Rox. That's exactly what I was going for." He swayed on his feet slightly and leaned against the bookshelf for support. He was exhausted. He had left Demyx and Zexion's house early in the morning and he had been very hesitant to return because he was still very, very on edge. Seeing Roxas was…

Well, his brain was a little too tired to deal with it sensibly. He was torn between wanting to yell and wanting to ask why the hell Roxas hadn't asked him to come home. Axel also wanted to know why Roxas looked _so good _when he looked like absolute shit. Why was love so cruel to him and yet it did nothing to faze the petite blond before him?

"Are… are you okay?" he asked, concern crossing his pale features.

"Never been better."

Roxas stared. "Dude, you look like you're about to pass out."

Axel shrugged. "Just a little sleep deprived, you know?"

Roxas couldn't say he did. He spent the majority of his time lounging around in his bed or on the couch. He spent his days lazing about. Exhaustion, unless it was of the emotional kind, had never been much of a problem for him.

"Why don't you just come home?" he asked hesitantly. "You're essentially homeless right now. You realize that, don't you?"

"Not homeless. I'm just in-between homes."

Roxas refrained from pointing out that that _was_ homelessness. "Axel, come on. Wouldn't it be nice to just come back?"

The redhead frowned and looked down at his feet. He wanted to nod his head, to affirm Roxas' question, and to soothe his every worry and fear. He wanted to break down and tell the blond how awful it was trying to live with Demyx and Zexion and how he barely slept and how he hated not having a room. He wanted to shake Roxas like a ragdoll and yell at him for forcing Axel into complete and utter emotional turmoil.

But he didn't. Instead he rubbed his face and shrugged.

"Why don't you just come back for a nap?" Roxas suggested carefully. "You look so tired, Axel…"

_God_, he really was.

"Please?" he breathed. "Then you can leave again and I won't… I won't stop you."

Axel shifted on his feet and noticed that his head was feeling rather large and heavy. He ran a hand through his red locks of hair and then he rubbed at one of his jade colored eyes. Going home with Roxas sounded nice. Curling up in bed with him sounded even nicer. Being able to hold him – and be held by him – sounded something close to perfection.

"I don't want to see Riku."

Roxas nodded eagerly. "No, fine. I'll… I'll make sure Sora preoccupies him." He dug around in his pocket for his cell phone and when he fished it out, he quickly sent a message to his twin that said something like, "Axel sleep over. Occupy your bitch."

And Sora responded, "Damn. And here I thought the four of us could have a make-up orgy."

••••••••••••••

**By the time **he awoke, it was dark and the rainstorm from earlier had not let up. Had his mind not been fogged, Axel would've found it amusing that rainstorms seemed to lead to Roxas and him sleeping together in the same bed.

He sat up and rubbed at his green eyes. He barely remembered walking from the bookstore to the duplex and he didn't remember stripping down to his boxers and climbing into bed. Though his exhaustion had stemmed mostly from the fact that he had stayed up all night, it didn't help that sleeping with Demyx was difficult. Demyx, unlike Roxas, moved around a lot in his sleep. He also dreamed in a vocal manner and while Axel was usually heavily amused by sleep-talk, he found it grated on his nerves night after night.

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table and made a face when the time read '3:45 A.M.' in bold, red writing. He ran a hand through his tangled mess of hair and then turned his attention to the sleeping mass next to him. Roxas had stripped down to his boxers too and a thin, white sheet covered his body from his waist down.

He looked absolutely delectable and Axel had to begin an internal battle of what he should do next. Stay and face possible questioning / suffering whenever Roxas woke up or dissipate into the night and pretend like this didn't happen? His brain was picking the latter, but his heart was putting up a pretty strong fight for the first option. And his _other _head was attempting to bring in a _third_ option which was seriously clouding Axel's judgment.

He pulled the sheet off his body and slipped from the bed. The redhead stretched his limbs and cringed slightly when his joints cracked. Stay or leave? Stay or leave? Stay or leave?

_You haven't seen him in months. And he's so sorry! He was very nice to you in the bookstore and you know how he normally is. _Axel's heart argued.

**Leave his ass. He's a cheating, backstabbing whore. He stabbed his brother in the back and he and your best friend lied to you about what happened for months. **Axel's brain insisted.

_But that's over and done with! And, besides, he was so young! They both were. What do you really expect from a couple of kids? Especially Roxas! You know he was emotionally abused…_

**Hey. At fourteen, fifteen – whatever – kids know cheating is wrong. And that was his brother. His own flesh and blood. His TWIN. And if he can do that to family, what the hell do you think he'll do to you? Probably get all your best friends together and have a massive orgy in the middle of the living room. And you're not invited to said orgy. So fuck him.**

Axel rolled his eyes.

_Don't listen to him. That's some fucked up shit he's talking about. You should really let Roxas explain himself. Maybe try talking to him about what actually happened instead of getting bits and pieces from Sora and Riku. You should give him a chance. He's trying to give you a chance._

**PFT! That asshole has been giving you hell since day one! He's been a little shit to you since the beginning! He didn't wanna give you a chance ever! But now that you don't want him, NOW he's all interested! He's a drama queen! He's still stuck in high school! As soon as you show him that you want him, he'll be all, "Ew, gross, I hate you."**

_Okay. How about this? Either you stay and give Roxas a chance or I'll stop pumping your blood._

Axel raised his brows. How much sleep had he missed out on exactly? He was giving his brain and heart a dialogue. He was imagining this argument happening. He wished he was tripping on drugs because this would have made a lot more sense.

_This isn't a joke. Sit your ass down on that bed. _

His heart gave a painful lurch and Axel wasn't sure if this was his imagination going way, way too far or if this shit was actually happening to him for real. It was possible that maybe Zexion slipped him something. Or perhaps he had just been spending WAY too much time with Demyx who happened to give voice to _every _body part. On more than one occasion, the blond had made Axel talk to his toes (each toe had a face and hair and had Axel not been trying to do homework, he would've found this highly entertaining).

He sat on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands. Thunder boomed outside and a strike of lightning lit up the bedroom. Axel breathed a little sigh and his heart nearly _did_ stop when he felt a warm hand grasp his shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry," Roxas mumbled. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Axel could _hear _the smile on his face. "Jesus. How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to hear you mumbling to yourself…" He wrapped his arms around Axel's waist and pressed his cheek against the other's upper back. "Were you going to leave?"

"I was thinking about it, but then my heart threatened me and –"

Roxas' brows came together. "Your heart _threatened _you?"

Axel laughed at the absurdity. "I guess I should lay off the crack," he joked.

They fell silent. Rain pattered on the roof and windows and thunder rumbled outside. Axel felt Roxas' arms tighten around his waist and heat flooded to the redhead's cheeks. It wasn't like him to blush, but it wasn't like Roxas to be so… touchy-feely. It was usually Axel who had to initiate their tender moments. It was usually Axel who cuddled Roxas. And it was usually Roxas who was blushing.

"I've missed you."

Axel stiffened and then relaxed. He felt Roxas shift behind him and he was rather pleased when he felt soft, warm kisses being pressed to his shoulders.

"Roxas..." he breathed. There was no thought process involved when he moved his head slightly to the left to allow the blond a little more room for his gentle kisses.

"I wish you'd come home," Roxas mumbled. He nipped teasingly at the junction of flesh between Axel's neck and shoulder. A satisfied smirk crossed his lips when Axel dug his nails unintentionally into Roxas' hand. It felt _good_. Being kissed by Demyx was nice (as was being kissed by anyone), but being kissed by Roxas was different.

Being kissed by Roxas was like fireworks. Like miniature explosions that sent waves of heat flooding through his body. Being kissed by Roxas left Axel feeling like his legs were made of jelly and it left him feeling like his brain was melting out through his ears. Being kissed by Roxas transformed Axel from a suave, charismatic troublemaker to a blabbering idiot who couldn't form a proper sentence.

And Roxas would swear there was no difference between suave, charismatic troublemaker Axel and blabbering idiot Axel.

"It's torture without you here," the blond mumbled. He pressed a small kiss under Axel's ear and saw goose bumps line the redhead's skin.

"So I leave and _now_ you want me?" he asked playfully.

Roxas shrugged and slipped his arms from around Axel's waist. He took a seat next to the other on the edge of the bed and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers and giving a little squeeze. Roxas pressed a kiss to Axel's shoulder and watched him carefully.

"Are you still angry?" the blond asked hesitantly.

"Yea."

Roxas blushed at the other's unabashed honesty. "I'm really sorry, Axel."

The redhead shrugged and pulled his hand out of Roxas' grasp. The blond was extremely hurt by this and though he wanted to hide it, he couldn't. The past few months had been hell and Roxas had been suffering extreme emotional strain. There was no hiding how he felt now and given that it was pretty clear how they both felt, what was the point in even trying to hide?

"Axel…"

He didn't look at the smaller boy. He didn't want to see the pain and hurt and rejection reflected in those beautiful, blue eyes. He stood up from the bed and grabbed his jeans from the floor. Roxas immediately slid from the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Axel's arm. And, because he knew he had made a mistake in coming here, Axel pulled away from him.

"You said you wouldn't stop me if I wanted to leave."

"I lied."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "There's a surprise."

He could actually _feel_ the hurt in Roxas' eyes and it made him feel very dirty and very guilty. He buttoned and zipped his jeans and when he began to look for his shirt, Roxas stepped in front of him and wrapped his arms tenderly around Axel's neck.

And because Axel was retarded in love, he wrapped his arms around Roxas' waist and crushed the blond boy impossibly close to his body. The urge to projectile vomit came over him, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the absolute repulsion that Roxas and Riku had slept together or because Roxas turned his stomach into a breeding ground for butterflies.

"I know about your mom…" He felt Roxas tense considerably, but the blond didn't attempt to pull away. "Sora told me a little about her. I didn't –"

"Please, Axel…"

Heat flooded to the redhead's cheeks. Roxas sounded extremely weak and vulnerable and the fragility of his voice caused Axel to feel somewhat embarrassed. He ran his hands soothingly up and down the blonde's back and he pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. He felt Roxas tangle his hands in his mess of red hair and the touch was very soothing.

"We can't ignore this, Roxy."

Roxas pulled away, but the action did not drip with teenaged defiance.

"My mom…" He swallowed thickly. "It's not what you think. My siblings were… They were jealous. I was the favorite, you know."

Roxas didn't sound so sure about this. He looked at Axel briefly, pleadingly, and then he looked down at his feet. He crossed his arms nervously over his chest and didn't say much else. Axel reached out and placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder, offering a gentle squeeze.

"You need to deal with this," the redhead said carefully.

"There's nothing to deal with," he stated defensively. He slipped from under Axel's grasp and paced the length of the bedroom nervously. "Sora's just… He didn't understand our relationship. And… and the only thing we need to deal with right now is us. My mom has nothing to do with you and me and you leaving."

Axel made a face. "Yea, but what you did with Riku had something to do with her."

Apparently he had hit a nerve. Roxas glared at him angrily and his words were laced with venom. "Does that matter?" he hissed.

"Yea, it does!" he yelled. He hadn't meant to, but he had been on edge all day. The tender moment he and Roxas were sharing was gone and now they were arguing. "Because she fucked you up! And I'm willing to bet we would be able to actually _be_ something if you weren't so in denial about what your mom really was!"

"Shut up!" Roxas yelled back. His face held a mixture of anguish and rage. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Axel's brow furrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. Roxas had stopped pacing and stood a few steps away. "I know enough to know that you're emotionally damaged because of your mom, and I know that's why you won't let me be anything to you!"

The blond shook his head. "She has nothing to do with you and me!" he insisted.

"Oh my God, Roxas, yes she does! She told you to break Sora and Riku up! She made you attack your brother's relationship! She abused your trust and she used you! You can't be happy because you won't be honest about what happened! You –"

"Shut up, Axel!" Roxas yelled.

The redhead looked somewhat shocked by the other's ferocity.

"Let me be honest with you then!" the blond raged. "Before my mom died, I told her I hated her! I told her I hoped I would never see her again! And she came into my room before she left and… and you know what she did?" His chest rose and fell quickly with each rapid breath. "She told me she was _sorry_! She told me _she loved me _and that I _was _her favorite! And you know what I did? I lied there and said nothing and then she died!"

Axel flinched and heat flooded to his cheeks. The feeling that he was spying rose in his chest and he awkwardly ran his fingers through his mess of red hair. He looked away from Roxas and the heat in his cheeks increased when the other continued to shout.

"And maybe, Axel… Maybe we can't have anything between us because you just up and _left_ me without a word! My mom died and you were nowhere to be found!"

He tore his gaze from the floor and looked at Roxas quite indignantly. He opened his mouth to argue, but the blond shook his head.

"I know you moved and… and I know that that wasn't your fault, but you never told me! You didn't even say goodbye! Stupid _Riku_ knew you were gone before I did and I had to hear it from him! I had to hear that you had abandoned me from him!"

"I didn't abandon you!" Axel yelled. He was now furious. "And I didn't say anything to you because I became friends with Riku and you stopped hanging out with me! How the fuck was I supposed to know you guys had fucked around behind Sora's back and that you hated him?"

Roxas blushed. "We lived in the same neighborhood! You knew where I lived and you could've –"

"What about the letter?" Axel yelled. "Are you just going to pretend you never got the letter I wrote you?"

The blond opened his mouth to retort, but then he fell silent. He looked at the other with confusion and Axel felt anger burn inside him.

"He… Riku never gave you the letter, did he?"

Roxas thought carefully about this and when he didn't recall ever receiving a letter from Riku, he shook his head slowly. "No…" he whispered. "No, I … I guess not."

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

By the time Roxas' brain bothered to comprehend what the redhead had said, Axel was already yanking his bedroom door open and making his way across the living room. Roxas immediately followed after him, his cries of "wait, hold on a second" going completely unheeded.

Axel couldn't accurately describe how angry he was. Though he had come to acknowledge and accept the fact that Roxas _did _play a part in helping Riku cheat on Sora, he still largely let all the blame for what had happened fall on Riku. He hated the way Riku had told him, he hated the way Riku had hid it from him, and he hated the way Riku had refused to make it any better.

And now… And now he had to deal with _this_. He had to deal with Riku not even giving Roxas his letter and Roxas believing Axel truly had just up and left town without talking to him. This certainly explained why Axel had never been able to get in touch with Roxas and why Roxas had been ignoring him for the past four years. This explained why the blond pretended not to know him and why he acted like Axel was a massive pain in the ass.

He stomped up the steps and made his way into the upper portion of the duplex. Roxas was nearly on top of him, telling him to be rational and telling him it was four-something in the morning. But Axel didn't care. Riku had stabbed him in the back enough times already. Knowing that Riku was the main source in why his and Roxas' friendship dissolved was only rubbing salt in the still open wound Axel was suffering.

He barged into Riku's room and turned the light on. Sora and Riku, who were cuddled and lying in the silver haired boy's bed, both stirred.

"Get up," Axel growled.

Riku sat up, groggy and confused. Sora sat up next to him and a gasp passed his lips when his boyfriend was suddenly being yanked out of bed and shoved roughly against the wall of his bedroom. Roxas, eyes wide with shock, stood by the door, unsure of what to do. Sora immediately climbed off Riku's bed and was glad he and his boyfriend had decided to sleep in their boxers and _not_ naked.

"Where's the letter?" Axel asked through gritted teeth.

Riku, still very out of it, stared at Axel. "_What_? Are you fucking insane?"

"Axel, what are you doing?" Sora asked from a few steps away. He saw the fire behind the redhead's eyes and he knew better than to attempt to break them up. If he needed to, he would, but he didn't want to ratchet the situation up any farther than it already was. "What's going on?" He shot Roxas a look and Roxas looked down at the floor.

Axel ignored Sora. "When I moved away to Carmine, I gave you a letter to give to Roxas, remember?"

Riku searched his memory for this moment. He was too tired for this. He was still really out of it and instead of giving an answer, he sort of shrugged (which was rather difficult because Axel was pinning him by holding his shoulders against the wall).

"Don't fucking shrug, you asshole! You never gave him my letter! You wrecked our relationship! You ruined what we could have had!" Axel yelled. "You're a horrible friend, you know that? You ruin everything! You're selfish!"

Riku glared hatefully at the redhead. "Dude, fuck you!" He shoved Axel roughly away from him. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

This enraged him even further and he shoved Riku back. "The letter, you dick! The fucking letter I gave to you so you could give it to Roxas! Maybe if you hadn't been so preoccupied trying to get him to _sleep with you_, you would've been able to give him my letter!"

Riku opened his mouth to respond, but Sora immediately piped up.

"Stop!" the brunet yelled. "It's not his fault!"

Axel and Riku both looked at Sora. Roxas, who still stood by the doorway, caught the look of guilt that passed his twin's features.

"Riku gave the letter to me," he mumbled. "And I was supposed to give it to Roxas."

"When?" Roxas asked. "When did that happen?"

Riku stepped away from Axel. His mind, now working a little better, recalled the letter Axel was talking about. He glanced at Roxas. "Your mom's funeral. After I tried talking to you, I went to my house and then I went to the funeral and gave Sora the letter. I didn't… I didn't go back to your house and give it to you because you made it pretty damn clear it wasn't me you wanted."

Sora caught the slight bitterness in Riku's voice and it hurt him. He looked over at Roxas and then immediately away again when he saw how pained his twin looked.

"I'm sorry," the brunet mumbled.

"Why didn't you give it to him?"

The question came from Axel, not Roxas, and Sora blushed a deep shade of red. Riku gave the redhead a hateful look, but the brunet walked toward his boyfriend and placed a hand on his arm in a soothing manner. He knew he had been wrong. What he hadn't known was what the consequences would be by not giving Roxas the letter.

"Because I was angry," Sora answered. "I read the letter and it just wasn't fair that Roxas got Riku _and_ you."

Riku took the brunet's hand into his own and intertwined their fingers. Roxas stood by the doorway and he glanced at Axel who was torn between glaring hatefully at Riku and feeling compassion for the small brunet. He ran a hand through his red locks of hair and shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"Where is it?" Roxas asked quietly. "The letter… Where is it?"

"_Aesop's Fables_," Axel answered to the surprise of everyone in the room. "It's in the anthology that used to belong to your mom. I found it a while ago and it had your name on it so I didn't read it. I didn't want to invade your privacy."

Sora looked at his twin. "I'm really sorry, Roxas. I was just... I was still really angry. And I'm… I'm sorry, Axel. I didn't mean to wreck things between you two. I didn't…" He shrugged his shoulders a little helplessly. "I was jealous and angry and I'm so sorry."

Riku ran his hand along the brunet's back and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend and pulled him close. Axel ignored the lonely feeling that suddenly arose in his chest. He and Roxas exchanged a look, but as soon as their eyes met, they looked away. Without another word, Axel walked across the room and out the door. He crossed the living room and then he descended the steps to the first floor of the duplex.

And Roxas, as usual, was following closely behind him like a lost animal.

"Where are you going?" the blond asked.

Axel walked into Sora and Roxas' bedroom and turned the light on. He retrieved his shirt from the floor and pulled it over his head. No answer came to the question that still lingered in the air. Roxas stood, looking quite forlorn, near the edge of the bed. He watched Axel with a mixture of resentment and worry.

"Axel," he tried. "You can't leave right now."

Thunder followed the small boy's words as if hoping to convince the redhead that Roxas was right.

"I don't want to be here," he muttered. He had just nearly assaulted his best friend for a crime he hadn't ever committed. He knew he looked like a psycho. He knew he looked like a crazy asshole trying to stir up trouble. Axel hated to think it, but he had a feeling the duplex was much quieter and a lot more peaceful when he wasn't around.

"I want you here." Roxas reached out and grabbed the redhead's hand.

"I'm sorry you never got the letter. I never abandoned you. I know I should've told you in person, but I just…" He shrugged. "It doesn't matter now."

"I think it matters," he mumbled. "I still want the letter, you know."

Axel shrugged again. He didn't really feel like explaining that the anthology of fables was at Demyx's house. He really didn't feel like telling Roxas that he had taken residence at Demyx's home and that he and the peppy blond were still dating each other. He ran a hand through his hair anxiously and breathed a sigh through his nose.

"I need to go."

Roxas caught his lower lip between his teeth. He dropped Axel's hand and realized it was useless to argue because the redhead had already made up his mind. He crossed his arms over his chest and let his gaze fall to his feet. It didn't matter that it was raining or that it was dark or that it was cold outside or that maybe Roxas was a little lonely. It didn't matter because Axel was spooked.

He wanted to run.

"Will you ever come back?" Roxas asked.

He picked his back pack up from the floor and shrugged. "Eventually, but… But there's still so much shit going on. Everyone has major issues."

The blond was a little amused by this statement. "You don't?"

Axel smiled in a weatherworn manner. "Roxy, I didn't have issues until I moved in with you."

Roxas was offended, but he knew it was true.

He was nothing but trouble.

••••••••••••••

"**I see Axel **has decided to grace us with his presence today."

A few giggles could be heard as the tall redhead meandered his way into the art room. Seeing Roxas had revitalized him somewhat and though they had ended on a rather strange note, Axel felt somewhat better. It was Tuesday afternoon and though he had gotten up quite early this morning, he felt very awake. He walked over to where Naminé sat and she looked at him apologetically when the two seats beside her were taken.

Axel shrugged. "Move," he said to a rather meek looking boy. "I'm sitting here now."

He gathered his things and immediately scuttled away. Naminé was torn between scolding him and laughing and in the end, she decided to just shake her head and give him a little smile. Axel sat down next to her and unloaded his art supplies from his bag. The art teacher, who had waited for the redhead to sit before continuing to lecture, began to pace the room and describe various techniques they would be attempting today.

"You shaved," Naminé said.

"So did you," Axel teased. She playfully hit him in the arm and he smiled at her.

"Why are you so happy?"

The redhead shrugged his shoulders a little and began to sketch something in his notebook. "Oh, you know… I saw Roxas yesterday."

Her eyes lit up. "How did it go?" she asked eagerly.

"Terrible," Axel answered honestly.

Naminé stared. "Then… Then why are you –"

"Because he's so lovely, Nam. And he wanted to kiss me and hug me and be on me and it was really great."

"Then… Then why was it terrible?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh. Because then we talked about his mom and then I found out RIku never gave Roxas this letter I wrote to him years ago so I went upstairs to kick Riku's ass, but it was like four in the morning and then I found out Riku gave the letter to Sora and Sora –"

"Gave the letter to Kairi who hid it in _Aesop's Fables_," she finished for him.

Axel stared at her. "What? He gave it to _Kairi_? Kairi hid the letter?"

Naminé blushed. "Oh, I… Well, I… She was acting under Sora's orders and I… I'm sure she didn't –"

The redhead stopped listening. He didn't know whether to be upset or not. Granted, it was Sora's idea to hide the letter so it _was_ his fault, but was Kairi really any better for helping him hide it? He shifted in his seat and Naminé frowned.

"Sorry. I didn't… I thought Sora told you… I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Nam," Axel stated. "I just think it's pretty shitty Kairi and Sora wanted to hurt Roxas like that. I know she was only doing what Sora said, but it wasn't like she had to. She's not exactly innocent."

Naminé gave the redhead a look. "Roxas was acting on my mom's orders and you've been pretty set that everything is all Riku's fault." She pointed out.

Axel blushed and looked away to hide it. "That's different."

She shrugged her shoulders and began to draw something on a simple sheet of paper. The professor had stopped talking and students were now moving about the art room, collecting art pieces or supplies for what they were doing in class. Axel shifted uncomfortably in his seat and ignored the double standard he had.

"I've blamed Roxas," he said defensively. "I know it's not all Riku's fault…"

Naminé nodded slowly. "But… You're able to be around Roxas without being angry. Meanwhile you won't even look at Riku."

Axel's blush deepened. "It's different. I love Roxas. Riku –"

"Has been your best friend for four years?" she asked innocently. "I'm not saying Roxas is guiltier than Riku, but you need to realize that Roxas did go after Sora's boyfriend. Riku liked Roxas at first, but Roxas was the one who initiated everything with him once he and Sora were dating."

Axel didn't say anything. He drew a small shape on the corner edge of his paper. He didn't want to hear this. Or talk about this. Or deal with his right now. He hated how right she was. He hated knowing that he wasn't dealing with this situation logically.

"You can't forgive Roxas so easily if you're going to hate Riku forever," Naminé said thoughtfully. "Whether you want to believe it or not, Riku and Roxas aren't so different. They're both composed of equal amounts of good and bad. I know you love Roxas, but don't let your love for him cloud your judgment. I love my brother dearly, but I love you too, Axel, and I don't want you to be another person who lets Roxas get away with murder. I also don't want you to lose your best friend."

The redhead smiled and he placed a hand on Naminé's back. "You're a good friend, Nami. I love you too and eventually I'd like to marry into your family."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry. If it doesn't work out with Roxas, Kairi will always be available."

Axel cringed. "I don't want to marry into your family that badly."

She laughed and shook her head. Axel knew she was right about Roxas and he knew she was right about Riku. It _wasn't_ fair to forgive Roxas so easily, but to still hate Riku. It wasn't fair to punish Riku when Roxas was always getting away with things. It wasn't exactly Axel's job to punish Roxas, but he sort of felt there needed to be a line somewhere in the sand. Because if they did work out and Axel did become part of the Badcock family, Roxas needed a boundary line.

He needed to be tamed.

"Axel?"

The redhead turned in his chair and was a little surprised when the professor brought over a piece of canvas to him.

"Is this yours?" she asked.

Axel nodded. "Sorry. It's not finished."

A little smile curved her lips upward and she handed him the art piece. "Finish it. I think it would look quite lovely in the new wing of the Hollings Arts building."

Naminé glanced at the canvas Axel held in his hand and when the professor walked away, she leaned over and eyed the charcoal drawing. "I can't believe you haven't given yourself a head yet. That phantom-man is still holding Roxas."

The redhead half-nodded. "Should it be my head?" he asked curiously.

She couldn't answer.

A little sigh left Axel's lips and he placed the piece of canvas on the available tabletop next to his book bag. On the piece of paper in front of him, he began to write something down in red ink.

_As with all good tales, the hero's adventure is always fraught with_ _numerous trials and tribulations. The redhead's tale is no different. While he tries to publish his book so the blond boy will marry him, he faces various issues with the people in his life. The Harassment Officer, the Childish Musician, the Icy Schemer, the Voice of Reason, the Identical Gurus of Love, and the Secretive Best Friend are all players in the redhead's adventure to win blond boy's fragile heart._

_I met Demyx by accident when Roxas decided it would be a good idea to invite a very delectable blond into a house where the sexual tension was palpable to the point of being able to pass STDs via the airway. This wasn't a _tiny_ bit of sexual tension. This was sexual tension that had been built up over four years between four people. It was like gas in a building; a little bit of spark was all the duplex needed to erupt._

_Demyx was that spark._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **Okay, for those of you who are of a questioning mind…  
I'm awful when it comes to law, but Riku's dad being in jail for DWI, as far as I have researched, seems to be okay. I based it off the law for DWI in New York. If you get like… three strikes in five years, you can go to jail for up to seven years with fines and whatnot.  
Second, the charcoal drawing I'm referring to happened way, way back in chapter four (at the very end of the chapter).

All right, so… Here's chapter 11. I hope you guys enjoyed it. It's about 9,600 words and it was sort of fluffy. There's a reason Sora is encouraging Riku to meet up with his dad just like there's a reason Axel is writing-writing and not just writing fables. I definitely see this story being over in the next two to three chapters (four or five more chapters might be pushing it, but hey – you never know). I'll try and get the next chapter out ASAP. I know waiting is purgatory.

Thanks for all the support and all the patience. You guys are awesome. As always, thank you to **Aindel S. Druida **for beta-editing. Check out her profile, read her stories, and have her beta for you! She's very sweet, very kind, and very good at offering her opinion / advice on stories. She always says hilarious shit.

Thanks everyone!

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**IchiakiI: **I really do enjoy shedding light on things. It makes writing the chapters a lot easier. As for the boy in my linguistics class – I'm wildly attracted to him. I'm not sure why. It isn't like he's the best looking dude and he usually just pisses me off. But I'm super into him.  
I'm glad you liked the last chapter so much. I was having a hard, hard, _hard_ time writing it and even though I've written this chapter, I'm still not satisfied with the last one.

**Miyuki-ice-fox: **Happy really, really, really late birthday!  
I wish I had brought Cloud and Leon in earlier, but I think there would have been too much going on. I also wasn't sure how their side-story would fit into the main plot. But there they are, related to Axel and Zexion and trying to protect their family members from harm. Like good cousins do. :P  
Any review is greatly appreciated regardless of what it says. I'm much more partial to nice reviews, but hey – who isn't?

**Moooo: **Woohoo!

**Seromi: **More word-fest than angst-fest. Though I didn't know the combination of angst and words was powerful enough to shoot someone to oblivion and then to hell. That's some mighty impressive stuff.

**Vithian: **Yes, still alive! Updates are just late and slow because my life is crammed pack with stuff I don't feel like doing (school, work, work, work, school, sleep, etc.). I don't quite understand why 'jail' is spelled 'gaol' either. Maybe it makes sense linguistically? I don't know enough to say for sure.  
Jumper in American-English is a type of dress young girls wear. It's like a dress they can play in. I first heard the word in Catholic school when I was in fourth grade. All the girls wore jumpers and all the boys wore shorts and shirts.  
I want this to end soon, but I noticed how I keep saying "it'll be over in two or three chapters" and I've been saying that since like… chapter nine, maybe? x_x;

**Foxzees: **Yep. I actually have that part of the plot all nice and worked out. That's been the same since the beginning. No permanent fall-out, I promise! That wouldn't make for such a happy ending.

**Neitzarr: **I find most people either understand language and have trouble with numbers or they understand numbers and have trouble with language. Or I'm just shit at explaining things.  
I have to be really into my own story to write the emotions well. It's also how I gauge how into an idea I'll be. If I write something, but I'm not so into it, it comes out very bland and I scrap the idea. I think that's why I rewrite my chapters so much. I think the amount of emotion in the story is what pulls people in and keeps them coming back. I know if I feel really strongly about something, I keep coming back to it (even if I hate it!).  
Ahh… _Guilty Conscience_. I'm also behind on that story too! Sorry to make you wait so long for both!

**Animaluvr4life: **I really like writing Cloud and Leon and I'm a little upset that I waited so long to add them in to the mix. As for Roxas, I like giving him a sense of humor because I think it breaks up his little moments of absolute desolation and angst. I also think showing he _can_ be humorous when it comes to Riku and Sora sort of shows that he's slowly getting over what happened between the three of them.  
Haaaaate naïve twit Sora. It drives me insane to see him that way. A little clumsy, maybe gullible, and maybe not so smart when it comes to school, but I don't understand the whole "totally innocent, borderline retarded" Sora people insist on writing. I see him more as the voice of reason. He balances other characters out because he doesn't let his own issues get in the way of helping others. He's also really selfless and most stupid people just… aren't. At all.  
Thanks! These chapters do take forever to write and I'm glad my hard work shows!

**Alstarryn: **Cute = good. It sounds rather patronizing, but I promise it's not. I label something as 'cute' if I go 'aww' and then feel super extra gay afterward. Love the past-present-future Alstarryns. Past-FK is still freaking out about how late this chapter was. Present-FK is trying to now work on _GC_. Future-FK is waiting for summertime when writing will fully take over his life.  
I do have a lot planned out for the end of this story and I'm definitely looking forward to it. When summer comes along, I might end up posting one or two one-shots that tie in with this story (one being about Leon and Cloud and then maybe one that shows where Roxas, Axel, Sora, and Riku ended up? I'm still playing with the idea). I'm sure a new Roxas x Axel story will come along soon (actually, I _know_ one will because I already have two ideas that I've been working on for months), but it'll definitely be after this story is over with.  
No depression! I promise this story still has a good bit left and I love Axel and Roxas so much that I don't think I could stop writing them if I tried. I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day too. I went to the ENT for Valentine's Day. It was magical.

**Fredrikness: **I'm so torn with Riku! When he fights with Axel, I want to hate him, but when he's all lovey with Sora, I want to like him. I also find it near impossible to dislike Axel even though he's also a douche sometimes.  
Thanks. I really want the readers to feel what the characters feel. When I write, I try and match the characters to people I know in real life. When I find a good match, I'm better able to write. I know this guy who reminds me _heavily _of Axel (tough exterior, fragile interior) and when I write Axel, I think of how this guy would react in that particular situation. This doesn't always work and sometimes I tweak behavior, but hey – not all systems are perfect.  
Read lots of books. Watch lots of sitcoms. I actually didn't find my writing style until **after** I read a shitload of Chuck Palahniuk books. I think finding your style is the most important part of writing. Once you have a style, you can work on perfecting it.

**LenalovesAster: **Roxas thinks about as much as any other 14-15 year old boy does. Not saying that's a good excuse or anything, but I think people forget that both Roxas and Riku were young (even I forget that) so I think they judge the characters a lot more harshly.  
I think I will eventually post that Leon x Cloud one-shot because it would be tons of fun to write. When I wrote the L x C scene in the story, I always envisioned Cloud being the uhh.. "man" in the relationship. Then I did some detective work and found that most people prefer Leon as the "man." But then I was too lazy to change it so… nertz to them I say. .. Nertz? Is that what the kids say these days?  
Ergh! Then you'll probably find Zexion even MORE insufferable in _Guilty Conscience_!

**RainbowNinjaD: **It's all part of the plot. I like writing the fables, but it was nice to be able to write something different.

**Sana-chan9: **Well, you know… an eye for an eye, huh? It's okay. Sometimes I forgot I'm the author too. I respond to these reviews and I realize that I feel how the readers do (or vice versa) and then I feel like I'm just reading along too. Sometimes I know about as much as the readers because sometimes I get lazy and forget to work out the plot (hi plot-holes, how are you today?).  
I love little Easter-egg lines like that. I love drawing the characters back to their origins because I always write alternate universe stories (mostly because I'm incredibly lazy and can't be bothered to play any of the KH games that are on DS / PSP).

**Miggery: **Yea! That story is awesome! I still haven't reviewed the latest chapter either because I've been supremely busy. I only got to read the story because I left a tab open to it and whenever I had three minutes free, I would read a little bit.  
Douchebaggery is okay. I feel like it's more realistic because there ARE douchebags out there, especially douchebag cops.  
Yea… Unfortunately, I don't think the Zemyx coupling is very popular. Which is why you should make a contribution! The more Zemyx stories, the better.

**Kit-KatSoraTwix193: **I still hate long chapters when it comes to reading them. Writing them is no problem, but reading them makes me want to poke my eyes out. I guess I just hate the extraneous information that most stories tend to carry. I try and limit that as much as possible, but sometimes it's difficult to write something so long and make every word or every line meaningful.  
Gah! This chapter was so late! Blame it on school and work. I wish I was paid to write because then my work would be my hobby. On the other hand, I'd feel bad making people pay for my writing.

**The Moon's Berserk: **True. I think most kids who were unloved by their parents try to seek approval in other ways (like breaking up your sibling's relationship). Or they're massive attention seekers (not always, but sometimes).  
They're sort of using each other (not sure if that's really any better). But eventually it'll all come out and truth will prevail as it always does. And yes. Very true. You _do not _use someone else's toothbrush. Ever. For anything. Unless they're some sort of asshole who has made your life hell. Then maybe it's acceptable to rub the head of their toothbrush all over the inside of the community toilet bowl.

**Allers3: **Agreed. Roxas' mom was a definite catalyst in the whole entire process. Though I have a feeling that Roxas and Sora would always be at ends anyway because Riku _did_ like Roxas first and _then_ he went after Sora. Even if their mom wasn't there, I think Roxas would have always been supremely jealous of Sora. But, then again, Roxas would have gone after Axel in the beginning instead of messing around with Riku if the mom had never intervened.  
No worries about spelling (I don't think there were errors). This story would be filled with errors if it weren't for my beta. And yes – huge chunks of straight dialogue are just… awful.

**Stardust Roses: **Damn! That's a lot of words for just two days of reading! I can barely finish a page and a half of a real book in two days (LAZY, LAZY, LAZY) and it takes me FOREVER to reread this shit before I send it over to my beta. You're a trooper.  
Yea, she's pretty fucked up and Axel has a bit of a dirty vocabulary (but… that's because I swear a lot. I love slang). I think a lot of kids swear these days, especially boys.

**Reku14: **But the ending will be happy! And there will also be another Roxas x Axel story soon. Once this story is over, I'll definitely be posting another (I already have two ideas I'm pretty excited about). It will be sort of sad to be done with this story, but also a relief. I've actually never completed a chapter story before (this will be my first) and I must say, it's been a TON of work.  
Axel and Roxas will be loved, I promise. I can't leave the story on a bad note. One-shots, sure - I can make those outrageously sad and heartbreaking, but I feel like a sad ending to a story this long is kind of a slap in the face to the readers.

**Mute: **I love this review. It's so dramatic and just absolutely wonderful. It's a review like this that makes me feel like the biggest tool on the planet for not updating on time.  
My sister is the same way as you – she only reads things that are completed (and it's _Harry Potter_ fanfiction for her, not _Kingdom Hearts_). But unlike her, you decided to give my story a go which makes me very happy. I know waiting for the next chapter is absolute torture and I don't blame people who wait for this story to finish before reading it.  
I like giving everyone two sides because everyone is composed of good and bad. Some people are worse than others and some people are better, but no one is wholly innocent. Even Naminé betrayed Sora because she knew about Roxas and Riku and said nothing. I like giving each character depth because it creates a debate amongst the readers. Was it REALLY all Roxas' fault for what he did? Or could most of the blame be put on his mom? And should Riku, who was young and lacked parental guidance, really be so disliked? I like stories that force the reader to create their own opinion and make observations. Sometimes I spoon feed certain ideas (because this is fanfiction, not English class), but I absolutely love it when readers pick up on an idea I was subtly trying to point out.  
Roxas is also my favorite. Because he is my favorite, I like to torture him ruthlessly (abuse is love). Roxas playing guitar was originally going to be played out in a different way, but I think now it's just something that's just there. I would like to show more of the Quadruplet's past together, but I think if I do, it'll be in a separate one-shot that goes along with this story. And it will _definitely_ be after this story finishes. But I would really like to give people a deeper view of their relationships with each other.  
Axel's brother is going to make an appearance. And you're right – Reno isn't his brother. I played with the idea that he would be, but then I decided against it because Axel _is_ adopted and I don't know how much sense that would make (about as much sense as Roxas and Sora not being related). I also don't know Reno's personality very well (PFT like it's any different from Axel?) and I'd hate to write him all OOC and poop-like. But I do know who WILL be Axel's brother and it'll be fun to bring him in. As far as Axel's last name goes, I have yet to disclose it. It's a secret!  
This review truly is darling. I appreciate everything you had to say and I'm enthralled that you're so in love with this story. I'm sorry I've let your soul suffer by putting this out late. I'm hoping the next chapter will be out fairly soon and you'll be ready to devour every word and leave another wonderful review.

**Ffftw: **Do authors eventually become rich? I know everyone here would buy fables written by Axel, but that might be more because of his reputation and less because of how good an actual writer he is. I never figured wealth would have much to do with this story, but I also think authors don't make money. So… In conclusion: I'm retarded.

**t.y.u.i.t.y.u.i.: **Wait, haven't we had this talk before? Not that I mind you still being a fan. I can dig it.

**NekoNamii99: **Um… Plot hole? That's totally my bad. I had this planned out differently in my head than what was actually written. I mean, I can sort of reason it by saying that the time Axel and Roxas actually spent together in high school was like… less than six months and that Roxas did ignore Axel after he moved (that's four whole years of not speaking to someone).  
But, it doesn't matter because regardless of what I say, it's still just evidence of my lack of foresight and inability to plan. On the upside, I'm glad you like it.

**Dearlybelovedangel: **I kind of like Sora's self-sacrificing behavior. I like that even though he _was_ the one who got screwed, he still tries to help Riku and Roxas and Axel sort out all their issues. I just don't see Sora being the kind of person to dwell on how bad things were. I see Riku and Roxas as dwellers, but not Sora. I think he's more of a "shit happens, so let's move on" kind of guy and I think he knows that in order to move on, he has to get _everyone_ to move on too.  
Roxas will come around. He's starting to come around now and eventually he and Axel will be together.

**Phaenilix: **They are all douchebaggy, aren't they? But flowers and rainbows make me want to vomit. I don't mind honeymooning, but I think the honeymooning should take place _after_ all the angst and drama of attempting to be together. That way, there's something to look forward to once the dust and rubble clears.  
If it's not a one-shot, suicide doesn't normally happen. I try to deal with difficult situations in a comical manner so it's easier to swallow (if we don't laugh, we'll cry). I also hate writing ultra-sad, always depressed characters. I don't mind writing angst, but too much angst and it becomes a wrist-slicing fest amongst the readers. I like using Axel to balance out the drama. His good natured humor makes him ideal for uncomfortable situations.  
Backbones are fantastic. I think part of the reason Roxas likes Axel so much is Axel tells him no whereas no one else ever does. Riku did, but Roxas wore him down. With Axel, though, it's different. He does things on his own time and I think it both intrigues and infuriates Roxas.  
Seven degrees of separation! Except in this case, it's more like one two or three degrees of separation. I love how someone is related to someone else and they all just _happen _to be in the same town. :D Hooray for semi-unrealistic connections!

**FoxLover440: **Thirteen and reading this? I'd say that's fine, but just don't read my one-shots because I don't want to be liable for corrupting a young and innocent mind. :P  
It would make a pretty funny movie. Or at least a funny youtube video. You might be the only person who thinks Riku is a kicked puppy. I think most other readers are sort of torn on whether or not to like him. I think the more he and Axel fight, the less people like Riku (but only because everyone likes Axel so much). I'm pretty excited to finally get to the point where Roxas and Axel get together. It's gonna be awesome.

**Lady Lake97: **Yea, that's brief look at her. I'm sure a full explanation will come out in due time. She was written to be hated though, so hate away.

**VoglioMalus: **I don't abandon stories and I try to update as frequently as possible. I know how it feels to follow a story and then find out it's been deleted or the author stopped updating or something like that. Unless I've died, there will always be an update or something on my profile explaining why I'm not updating. And yes – I do enjoy my Roxas as an emotional train wreck. I'm not sure why.

**SevenElevenOtaku: **If I did decide to publish something like this, I would need to change a lot. The name change would be a definite (copyright infringement? No thanks!) and I would probably swap the genders of Roxas and Sora. Not because I'm against homosexuality (obviously), but I know the story would sell better if they're all nice and heterosexual. I'm not sure how many fables Axel will write or how many he has written. My guess is a good bunch since it's been like… eight months since he began writing? Eventually I'll figure it out.

**M-is-4-melissa: **I love how you described me as a certified word ninja. I actually had to share that with my roommate and his response was to stare at me as if I'd gone insane. In short: he's a poop nose and he can go sit on a dick. But I'm really glad you like this so much. I didn't know Bieber got a haircut (I guess I lack "Bieber Fever"), but that doesn't matter because I'm pretty much a certified word ninja. And I'm going to start referring to myself that way in my head. Because it makes me feel cool.

**TopHatGlow: **It's okay. It's been taking me forever to update. However, I'll attribute this error to ffnet and their inability to hire an I.T. group that's worth a damn. I'm not sure if I'll post Axel's fables at the end of the story. I've always had the ending for this worked out in my head and... Well, you'll see soon enough. I'm glad my story combined with you is the formula for world peace. That's pretty awesome.

**Girly-girl12345: **I didn't want to type your penname at first because it had a lot of numbers at the end. Then I realized the numbers were 1-5 and I manned-up. And hooray! I am continuing and I am updating! I hate how long this has taken!

**Avianice: **I tend to ruin people for sex, too. ;D I really enjoy giving each character depth and I really like being able to convey their emotions so well. I hate one-dimensional bullshit that seems to float all around. I'm not saying a lack of depth makes a story bad, but I think giving everyone a distinct personality definitely helps the story chug along. I'm thrilled you like this so much though I am sorry that I ruined you.

**EpicSonic: **It might be the crappiness that is ffnet and NOT your PC. But I'm glad you found this and I'm shocked you read it all in one day! I feel like this story should come with a waiver form. I don't want to be responsible for bleeding retinas.


	12. His Secrets are Badly Kept

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Yes, I'm back. I know it's been a very painful… three, four months? And to give everyone a brief run-down of what's been going on: I was dating someone, I was fighting with the person I was dating, and now I'm not dating at all. And this whole three-four month relationship felt like a thirty-forty year relationship.

While I was away, I…  
Stopped working at the deli.  
Got an apartment.  
Built a bed.  
Painted this apartment.  
Dated and broke up someone.

And am no longer suffering from horrible writer's block / aggravation / heartache and know it's time to get back. I'm really sorry about the wait. I'm glad it wasn't as long as it could have been, but I hope you guys are still with me. I'm going to finish this story and I hope all of you faithful readers finish it with me. We're all pretty committed now, I think.

Onward to story!

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

XII – His Secrets are Badly Kept

"**Do you ever **feel like you're only doing things because of the positive reinforcement or advice you're getting from other people?"

Axel shifted uncomfortably and passed Demyx a look. "I don't know." They were sitting on the blonde's bed studying dutifully for their upcoming exams. It was the end of April, nearing the end of school and the start of summer, and Axel had once again become a recluse. The moment he had shared with Roxas nearly a month ago had been undermined by the advice Naminé had given him. He couldn't forgive Roxas until he was ready to forgive Riku and he knew that if he spent time at the duplex, he'd only continue his descent into love for Roxas and his deep hatred for his former best friend.

Somehow he had worked the whole situation out so that everything was Riku's fault. No matter how many times he turned it over in his head, involved Mrs. Badcock and her games, Roxas' siblings, and the strangeness of fate, everything just pointed back to Riku and his ignorance.

Axel knew it was wrong, but he wanted someone to blame. He wanted someone _tangible _to blame and because Mrs. Badcock wasn't alive and because it would be much too difficult to be angry at Roxas, Riku was obviously the best choice. Friends could be replaced. First loves could not.

"What do you mean?" the redhead asked after a small, agitated sigh had passed Demyx's lips.

"Like… Like if you don't wanna be with someone, but you keep staying with them because your family and friends like them. Or like when you love someone, but everyone is telling you you're probably better off without them."

Axel gave the blond a look and then shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure if this was some kind of test or if Demyx was just talking. Ever since he had lost his notebook, he had been incredibly tense and fearful of nearly everything his boyfriend said. Everything seemed to, somehow, correlate to how the redhead felt about Roxas and Axel felt as if he was being subtly asked to tell the truth every time Demyx spoke. He felt as if the blond was trying to give him a gentle shove in the right direction. He felt like his boyfriend was trying to help him detonate some metaphorical bomb.

"Um…" Axel cleared his throat. "Maybe? Why are you asking?" he asked suspiciously. Attempting to be nonchalant was really no longer an option.

"I... well, I…" Demyx blushed. "It's just sometimes I don't think I should care much about stuff, but then people act like I'm crazy or messed up if I don't care, so then I feel like I _should_ care because I'm being judged otherwise, you know?"

Axel stared. "No. I have no idea what you're talking about, Dem."

The blond made a frustrated noise somewhere in his throat. "Okay, look…" He shifted and looked at the redhead quite seriously. "Let's say you were cheating on me."

Axel froze, but quickly regained his composure. They were speaking hypothetically. Demyx didn't strike Axel as the type to beat around the bush about serious business and the redhead knew that if he continued to act strangely, the blond was going to start suspecting something was going on.

"And let's say, hypothetically, I didn't really care. So I tell my mom or Zexion or whoever that you cheated on me, but I'm gonna stay with you anyway because I don't really care. Now Zexion or my mom or whoever freaks out and says I should leave and I should be angry that you betrayed me and my trust. They make this big deal out of what I think is nothing and then next thing you know, I've cut your head off and put it on a stick in the front yard to appease all those people who wanna see you dead."

Axel stared.

Demyx made a face. "Hypothetically speaking."

"Right," the redhead mumbled. His mouth was suddenly very dry. "Hypothetically speaking."

"So… Do you ever feel like your life is ruled by stuff like that? Like your standards aren't high enough? Like you're disappointing the people who know you and love you and care about you because they're judging your lack of standards?"

Axel looked down at his textbook and made a scribble in the margin. He caught his lower lip between his teeth and then just shrugged his shoulders in response. Silence engulfed the room and Demyx found he was mildly annoyed when Axel's only response was to say, "I rather like my head attached to my body, you know."

••••••••••••••

"**I think maybe **Demyx is planning on killing me."

Naminé was slightly amused by this information. "Oh yea?"

"Yep." Axel stretched his arms above his head and let a small sigh pass his lips. "I hate trying to draw my own fucking face. I make myself look way more Asian than I really am."

Her head jerked up from her sketchbook and she eyed the redhead suspiciously. "You're not Asian at all."

"Yea I am," he replied quite seriously. "My mom is a quarter Japanese. That makes me like… an eighth or some shit." He paused. "And that isn't even the point. Demyx is trying to kill me. He's plotting my death with Zexion. He even said he was going to put my head on a stick and display it in his front yard."

"At least the cops will know where to find you," Naminé teased.

Axel sighed. "I'm for real, Nam." He wiped his charcoal-covered hand on his apron and turned to face the small girl. "He keeps asking me these questions that are like… 'Hey, Axel, do you like fooling around with blond boys like Roxas behind my back and if you do like doing that, should I rip your dick off and shove it down your throat or discuss this with Zexion and see what he says?'"

She looked up from her sketchbook and opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and just shook her head. A frustrated groan left her lips when the lead of her pencil snapped against the thick paper in her book. Axel watched her carefully and was quite grateful that they were alone in the art room. It was much harder to have a serious conversation with the slightly introverted girl whenever other people were around.

"What?" Axel prodded. "What did you wanna say?"

"I just… think it's kind of silly," she mumbled. "Haven't any of you come to realize that if you just tell the truth from the start, these kinds of problems wouldn't exist anymore? And I hope you realize that you stepping out on Demyx is sort of…" She hesitated, "Bullshit."

The redhead was mildly stunned by her word choice and found he couldn't effectively respond.

"And only because all you talk about is how badly you feel for Sora because of what Roxas and Riku did behind his back," she added quickly.

"That's different!" Axel stated much more loudly than he had meant. "That was his _brother_ doing that to him! That makes the cheating like four hundred times worse!"

Naminé couldn't help but look the smallest bit bemused. "So… What you're saying is… It's not as bad to cheat on someone provided you aren't cheating on them with their brother. And if that situation _does_ come up, everyone should be pissed off at the brother because he has an obligation bound by blood?"

Axel hesitated. "This is a trap, isn't it?"

She shook her head and closed her sketchbook. "I'm helping you come to a conclusion. Why are you pissed off at Riku?"

His green eyes narrowed and he gave her a cold, hard look. "Because he is an A+ prick, Nam."

"Why?"

Axel felt heat rise in his cheeks. "Because he… he… he cheated on Sora! Your brother! And… and –"

"But my other brother _initiated _the cheating. Shouldn't I hate Roxas?" she asked curiously. There was a knowing look residing behind her pretty blue eyes. Axel knew this was a trap. He should've stopped talking a while ago.

But now he was annoyed with her. She had been setting these small traps – "helping him come to conclusions" - for the past month and he had continually walked straight into them by mistake. He stood and glared hotly at her. "Shut up," he growled. "You don't… You don't know –"

Naminé stood too and she folded her arms. Despite her small stature, Axel found himself somewhat intimidated by her. For someone so little and so quiet, she sort of radiated an aura of power. She demanded respect from people. Her silence wasn't always one of serenity.

"I'm just trying to help you. The right thing to do is to _talk to everyone _and be truthful, Axel. Tell Demyx what's going on. Talk to Roxas. Talk to Riku. It's been months and all you're doing is taking a bad situation and making it worse. Did it ever occur to you that everyone would just rather forget the past and move on? Did you think that maybe by lamenting on all this, you're forcing everyone to relive a really bad situation over and over again?"

Axel blushed. He opened his mouth and closed it and then he shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"You're leading Demyx on… It's not right what you're doing to him. And I know you're upset about Roxas and Riku but… but what are you really angry about?" Naminé asked gently. "What happened between my brothers and Riku… It had nothing to do with you. So why are you so angry?"

"Because it was kept from me, Nam! Everyone was keeping this huge secret from me! We're all supposed to be friends, but no one told me anything! And how the fuck am I supposed to feel when everyone waits around for me to love Roxas _before_ dropping the bomb?" Axel gripped the edge of his apron with one of his dirtied hands. "It's fucking horrible to learn that… that the love of your life is a backstabber. That he could do something like that to… to not _just_ his brother, but his _twin_. Do you realize what he could do to me? I'm shit to Roxas. He could… He could plot my death and not feel bad."

Naminé opened her mouth to refute his last point, but stopped when Axel continued speaking.

"I wanted so badly to be Roxas' first, you know? I wanted to show him that love doesn't have to be abusive or cruel. But Riku got to him first. I just feel like maybe I wouldn't be having such a hard time with Roxas if Riku hadn't messed with him. And I know Mrs. Badcock plays a role in this, but goddamnit, Nam, I want someone that I can blame _and_ yell at. I can't yell at a dead person." He sighed and looked at his feet. "I want to be sensible, but Roxas scares the shit out of me and it makes me mad. And then I think maybe Roxas wouldn't be so scary if Riku hadn't played with him. And then I get jealous thinking about Roxas letting his guard down for Riku, but not for me."

A sad, small smile crossed Naminé's lips and she reached out to gently touch Axel's arms. "Roxas was a different person back then. Letting Riku in was easy when he was younger because he was inexperienced. But his trust was abused by our mom and he abused Sora's trust. Don't you think he's scared too?"

The redhead muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"And I know you're scared Roxas is going to take your heart and smash it, but don't you realize that you have the same power?"

He rolled his eyes. "Except Roxas knows I'm not going to take his heart and eat it. At least I haven't given him a reason to think I'm a cannibal."

Naminé raised her brows. "Except… You've left him. Twice."

Axel gave her a very sour look and then removed his apron from his body. "I refuse to let this be my fault, so I'm –"

"Going home to fix it?" she asked eagerly.

The redhead glared. "No. I'm gonna wait for everyone to quit involving me in their stupid bullshit." He threw his apron on the ground and left the art room quickly, leaving his art supplies and Naminé behind.

Naminé didn't know what she was talking about. Roxas was evil. Riku was evil. They were all pure, unadulterated evil and she didn't realize that no matter what Axel did for Roxas and no matter how far they got away from this moment, Riku would _always_ have a special place in Roxas' heart.

And that killed Axel.

••••••••••••••

**Because Sora hadn't **quit nagging him about talking to his estranged father, Riku had taken to semi-avoiding the brunet. While he agreed that getting a bit of closure wouldn't be the worst thing, he was also afraid that his father, who he deemed batshit crazy, was just trying to pull him back into some kind of game that he couldn't possibly win at. And Sora, ever the optimist, was convinced that no one could be so sinister. No parent could be so cold to their own child.

Of course, he quickly shut up when Riku brought up Mrs. Badcock. It was odd how her abuse hadn't harmed Sora's sunny disposition.

"Change your number," Roxas suggested helpfully as he stared down a bowl of cereal he had made but didn't particularly feel like eating. "Or answer it and tell him to sit on a dick."

Riku eyed Roxas suspiciously. "I can't tell if you're trying to be helpful or not." He poured a cup of coffee and added one teaspoon of sugar to it before taking a seat across from the blond at the kitchen table.

"Yea, sorry. Helpfulness isn't my strong point."

"Ya don't say…" Riku mumbled sarcastically as he sipped his black coffee.

"Hey, fuck you. I don't need your judgmental bullshit," Roxas growled.

He raised his brows somewhat questioningly but was not, in the least bit, fazed by the moody blonde's little outburst. "Your cheery spirit is killing me, Rox. Please try and take it back a notch or two."

"Sit on a dick."

"It's funny. The longer Axel is gone, the moodier you get," Riku mused.

Roxas' face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and rage. "Shut up. Fuck Axel. He's just playing games and I'm tired of him. I hope he never comes back. I hope he moves out and I hope I never ever have to see him ever again."

"Really?" Riku sipped his coffee and looked at Roxas over the rim of his cup. "He told me he was over everything and coming home today."

The change that suddenly overcame the blond was somewhat frightening. His features, usually hardened into a nasty look, softened considerably. There seemed to be a lighter air around him. The room seemed brighter. Roxas seemed much less like the hardened, hollowed-out husk he usually acted like and more like the way he used to be before he learned the devastating truth about how life actually works.

"Really?" the blond asked, trying his hardest not to sound too eager. "Is that for real?"

Riku shrugged. "Nope. Just seeing how much you love him."

Roxas blushed and his softer demeanor left. His face had hardened into that nasty, uncompromising look and he sulked with his bowl of Lucky Charms. "I don't love him."

"If you told him you loved him, he'd probably come home."

"Shut up." He stirred the contents of his bowl with his spoon. "I don't need to be in love with a self-centered jerk."

"But then you and Axel would have something in common!" Riku teased.

"What do you want?" Roxas growled. "What do you want from me? You have Sora. I'm all alone. Axel is out of the house. Things are your way so why are you messing with me?"

"Whoa, my way?" Riku glared. "What do mean 'my way?'"

"I think you got rid of Axel on purpose because you're mad that he wants to be with me!" Roxas yelled.

The older boy rolled his eyes. "You're delusional. You aren't the center of my world, Roxas. We all don't revolve around you."

"Then why in the hell would you tell him about _my past _whenever things are starting to be okay between us? If you're over me then why are you so intent on making sure Axel and I can't be together?"

Riku stood from the table and shook his head. "I'm not going to argue with you about some situation you just made up to make yourself feel better about Axel leaving. Instead of blaming everyone else, why don't you take some responsibility for your own shitty actions?"

"My actions?" Roxas stood and looked at Riku with exasperation. "My actions? And what exactly did I do?"

"This whole thing is your fault!" Riku roared, causing the blond across from him to retract slightly. "Open your eyes, Roxas! I've been taking all the blame for this for years while you've sat back and done nothing! Everyone feels so sorry for you because your mom took you for a fucking ride and everyone acts like that's some kind of excuse, but it's not! I did shitty things because I had a lack of parental control, but that doesn't fucking matter because my shitty actions are _still_ my shitty actions! My decisions are my decisions!"

Roxas felt all the blood in his body rush to his cheeks and he looked away from Riku. He tried to ignore the burning shame that coursed through his veins and he hated how he could _feel_ Riku's eyes burning holes into his skull.

A sigh parted the older boy's lips and he ran a hand through his hair. "Oh my God, please don't start crying."

Roxas jerked his head up and glared hatefully at Riku. "You didn't have to tell Axel the way you did. You didn't have to wait for him to… to like me the way he did and then tell him."

He shrugged slightly. "No… No, I didn't. You're right, Rox, and I'm sorry. I guess I just…" He paused. "I guess I thought that… That it would be okay because Axel loves you. I thought that he'd handle it better and he'd get over it quicker. I didn't think he'd take it harder."

Roxas played with the edge of the table and averted his eyes from the older boy. Silence engulfed the kitchen and neither boy said a thing. An apology was something Roxas hadn't expected and he hadn't been prepared for it. He had been expecting something much more hostile and aggressive from Riku. Perhaps some sort of harangue about how Roxas needed to man-up and how the blame for everything that had happened could be equally spread around to every person. An apology was new and different. It was very _Sora_-like.

Roxas jerked his attention towards Riku when his phone began to ring from his pocket. Annoyed, the older boy dug it out and made an extremely unpleasant face when he saw it was his father calling him _again_.

"You should… You should give him a chance," the blond offered.

Riku raised his eyebrows questioningly. "And why is that?"

He hesitated, but then he said quietly, "Because I never gave my mom a second chance and then she died."

Roxas was growing. Slowly, but surely, he was growing.

••••••••••••••

"**Is Leon around?"**

Cloud shrugged and didn't look up from his bike. He was tinkering with it. It had been making a rather funny, unsettling sound the other day and while he normally would have brushed this off, his cop boyfriend had begun to tick off all the dangers of riding motorcycles. And Cloud, wanting to keep things mildly calm (and shut Leon up), promised he'd give the stupid thing a glance over.

He had also taken the time to mention that if he had a _new_ bike, Squall wouldn't need to be so worried about picking off bits of his body from the pavement.

"Well… Do you know where he is?"

Cloud shrugged again and reached up to wipe at his brow. It was hot for the end of April. Had he known this, he would've worn shorts or something, but he had decided pants would be all right. He had also decided to remove his shirt, but he knew he'd be sunburned by the end of the day.

"Well…" Demyx looked at his feet and swayed slightly. "I'll just wait for him to come back."

Cloud glanced at the blond from over his shoulder and then shrugged again before turning back to his bike.

And Demyx, lonely and desperately needing someone to talk to, meandered over to Cloud and let out a deep, deep sigh. He circled the bike (and the older man) and stared up at the sky before releasing another deep, distressing sigh. He put his hands in his pockets, he scraped his feet across the pavement, and then he opened his mouth to breathe out loudly again, but Cloud cut him off.

"What?" he growled. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh gosh, I don't wanna bother you with my problems," Demyx replied.

Cloud shrugged and turned his attention away from the blond. "All rig –"

"I'm just so confused and my heart aches, you know? Because I don't know what to do about Axel or Zexion. I'm just… My feelings are everywhere. And Axel has really been upsetting me. I just… I don't know how I feel anymore and it's really upsetting. I've always been pretty sure of myself, but I think it's because I always had people telling me what to do. And everyone kind of agreed on what I should do. But now I'm getting all kinds of crazy advice and I know you're Axel's cousin and I know Leon is Zexion's cousin and I just thought maybe I could get some clarity from Leon and then maybe talk to you. But now I don't know."

Cloud stood up from his spot on the ground and wiped at his brow again. "That's… interesting, but I don't think I –"

"And I just think Axel is up to something and I don't think it's good. There's something wrong with him, you know? He's all… I don't know. He's all secretive about stuff. And when I try and talk to him, he acts all tense and weird like I know something he doesn't want me to know. But I don't know anything!"

The older blond couldn't help but mutter, "That's an understatement," but it didn't perturb Demyx one bit.

"I just think maybe I'm making the wrong choices, but I don't know because I can't really get an accurate read on Axel. And I dunno what to do about Zexion! He barely talks to me and I don't really talk to him and it's been hard because Axel is always around! And I like Axel, but that's just the problem, Leon's Boyfriend, I thought I loved Axel and now I'm not so sure!"

Cloud's eyebrows came together. "Cloud."

Demyx stared. "Huh?"

"Cloud. My name is Cloud, not 'Leon's Boyfriend.'"

Demyx nodded slowly. "Right. Okay. But… see… We're talking about me right now, so… Yea. I don't really know what to do and I just need advice and I mean _good_ advice. Not shitty advice like "do what you think is best" or whatever other nonsense. I don't know what's best, which is why I need the opinions of other people to make a well-crafted decision. Then when stuff goes wrong, I don't have to blame myself."

Cloud wasn't sure if Demyx was purposefully ignoring his clear annoyance or not. He didn't know much about the kid other than that Leon's cousin Zexion was madly in love with him. Why this was so, Cloud wasn't sure because he had spoken to Demyx for all of two minutes and he just wanted to punch the kid in the mouth and call it a day.

"So tell me what to do! Or get Leon and make him tell me what to do! Because I can't make a good decision right now because I don't know what to do about Axel or Zexion! And I tried talking to them, but, like I said, Axel acts all sketched out and I barely speak to Zexion! And it's really awful because Zexion and I used to be so close! We used to be best pals and now we're like… afraid of each other! And it makes me sad, you know? Because I feel like Axel is ruining my relationship with Zexion but Axel is my boyfriend so I feel badly choosing Zexion over him, but I want to because Zexion knows me so well and he's known me for so long and sometimes he's crusty and brittle and a douchebag, but I know he doesn't mean it and I know that deep down he's a good man. He's loving and caring and he'd do anything for me because, you know, I'm important to him and stuff! And I think maybe I would do anything for him because I miss the way things used to be! But then there's Axel and he won't go home and leave me alone so I can't think and –"

Cloud felt a vein in his head throb and he stared at Demyx blankly as he rambled on and on. Leon was _somewhere _around, but the blond wasn't sure where. Originally, he thought Demyx was Zexion which was why he only shrugged. Had he known it was this exceptionally talkative dip, he would have called Leon over in a second to get him to deal with this dramatic, teenaged bullshit.

"—so I just think that maybe if I had good advice from third parties, I could maybe –"

"I don't care," Cloud interrupted. He ignored the hurt that crossed the blonde's face. "Just dump Axel. He's in love with Roxas anyway. He's been writing those fables _for him_. For like… marriage or some other weird, Indian-esque betrothing shit. So go date Zexion and chop Axel out of the picture. There, problem solved. Now leave."

Demyx's lips parted slightly and he looked at Cloud as if he had just slapped him in the face. "What?"

Cloud raised his brows. "I said –"

"No, I heard what you said," he unintentionally snapped. "But… But I didn't know those stupid fables were for stupid Roxas. You know how long he's been writing those fables? Since like… before we were really anything." He glared hatefully at nothing and anger burned red in his cheeks.

Cloud shrugged. "I guess you got used. Why don't you go find Axel and talk him to death about it?"

Demyx frowned deeply and stared at his feet. "I can't believe him. He _used_ me! He's _been_ using me! I suspected there was something there between he and Roxas, but Roxas said there wasn't and… and why would he even date me if he loved Roxas?"

"I… I don't know. You should go home and ask him."

"Why would he do that? Who the fuck does that to someone?"

Cloud shifted uncomfortably. "You're not gonna cry, are you?"

Demyx glared. "No!" he yelled defiantly. "I guess douchebag runs in the family!"

Cloud's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, but Demyx had already taken off.

Maybe he wasn't so stupid after all.

••••••••••••••

_**Hey. I told **__Demyx about all the bullshit. He's mad. Good luck._

Axel stared at the text message and his brow came together in confusion. He responded with, _What bullshit?_ and eagerly read Cloud's quick response.

_I told him about your weird marriage thing with the fables and that moody prick you're after._

His jade eyes went wide and he had the sudden urge to run. Humiliation and guilt burned in his stomach when he realized what a coward he was and this was only made worse when he realized he wasn't even _at _Demyx's house. He was in a coffee shop five or six blocks away. And Demyx wasn't exactly a force to be reckoned with.

Axel really needed to man-up. All this running business was shameful.

_Okay, first of all, how did you even know about the fables and my love for Roxas? And secondly, why would you tell my CURRENT BOYFRIEND?_

_Leon told me you loved Roxas. And everyone knows about the fables._

Axel glared at his phone. _No, everyone does NOT know about the fables. And why did you tell him? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?_

_He wouldn't shut up and I didn't know how to make him go away._

The redhead felt his jaw tense and he rubbed at his face. He was stressed. He was already stressed about Roxas, the loss of his notebook with _all _42 fables in them (plus the page in which he proclaimed his love for Roxas), and now it was all out in the air. Demyx now knew and there was no doubt that the blond was going to be pissed.

And Zexion was going to want _serious_ revenge.

_You are a troublemaking twat, _Axel texted. _Next time you want someone to stop talking, do what Leon does to you and shove your dick in their mouth._

_At least the guy I love loves me back. _

Axel's face burned red in embarrassment and he was glad that their conversation was taking place through text message. He wanted badly to respond with some three page rant about what a douchebag Cloud could be and how all this business with he, Demyx, and Zexion, had _nothing _to do with Cloud or Leon, but he refrained because he had bigger problems to deal with.

Namely Demyx and Zexion. It wasn't so much Demyx he feared. It was _Zexion_. He was a scheming little bastard who took substantial amounts of joy in causing Axel extreme stress and agony. To make matters even worse, Axel had just scorned Zexion's love interest. He had hurt Demyx and the redhead knew that Zexion would want him to pay.

And pay big.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" he mumbled to himself as he began to scan the address book in his phone. He quickly found Naminé's name and texted her a brief, but detailed, message about what had occurred in the last two minutes.

_You're going to hate me for saying this, but it had to come out sometime. Just like with Sora and Riku. Eventually, things were going to crumble._

Axel glared hotly at her response and made a mental note to remember that Naminé was VERY unhelpful when she thought Axel was in the wrong.

He didn't know why he did it, but he grabbed a fistful of napkins from the dispenser on the table and he grabbed a red ink pen from his pants pocket. Eventually he was going to have to face Demyx, Zexion, Riku, and Roxas. He was going to have to stop running. Time had run out for him and now there was no place left to go and there was nothing left to do except to tell the truth and accept the fact that everyone was sorry.

That Riku was sorry (but still a total douchebag).

That Roxas was sorry (but still a heart-smashing brat).

And that Axel was sorry, too (but still no better than Riku nor Roxas).

A sigh parted his lips and he uncapped his pen. The loss of his notebook hadn't deterred him from writing. He figured that if Zexion _did_ have his notebook, the schemer would've, by now, threatened or blackmailed Axel. It was misplaced, he figured, and though he was slightly worried about his fables, he at least had the new stories he was writing. The only page he had torn out from his notebook was _The Pen and the Hand_. Everything else was wherever his notebook was.

_We're All Liars_

_The Childish Musician had been duped. Just like the Redhead had been duped by the Secretive Best Friend and Blond Boy, the Childish Musician was left alone with only the knowledge that the Redhead had been stepping out on him. And the Redhead, who did feel guilt and did feel repentance, couldn't help but note that his anger at the Secretive Best Friend and Blond Boy wasn't wholly just._

_Demyx was used by me just like Sora was used by Riku. And I guess we're all liars and I guess this isn't exactly something I would want to share with anyone. So maybe Riku and Roxas had a reason to hide their secret from me._

_Take note. This is how messed up life will always be. People will point out what you're doing wrong or try and help you correct your mistakes or give you friendly warnings or advice, but no one ever listens because everyone wants to learn on their own. None of the advice I received mattered until now because it isn't until I'm trapped in this shitstorm that I realize I'm not much better than Riku or Roxas or anyone else._

_We're all liars. We all want to learn by our own mistakes even if it means hurting other people or causing more problems for ourselves or others. We're all just a little bit self-centered and we're all, at some point and on some level, looking for what makes us happy._

_And it sounds really terrible, but when the shitstorm clears and everyone is holding hands with the people they're supposed to be… That's the happy ending._

••••••••••••••

"**I'm going to **kill him."

Axel's notebook sat between Zexion and Demyx and it was flipped open to the page where the redhead had loudly pronounced his love for Roxas. The blond was gripping the edges of the countertop so hard his fingers were white and Zexion, calm and collected when dealing with conflict that didn't directly involve him, watched his best friend carefully. The urge to say "I told you so" was almost overwhelming, but he knew now wasn't the time to be smug.

"I have a better, and much more legal, idea," Zexion offered.

Demxy raised his brows. "Like what?"

"Let's destroy what he loves most."

The blond snorted. "Right, so… Let's kill him."

Zexion shook his head and reached out, grasping the notebook and waving it in front of Demyx. "No. Roxas. He loves Roxas. These stupid fables mean everything to him because they're for Roxas. And if we destroy the fables, we destroy anything between him and Roxas."

Despite his anger at the redhead, Demyx felt that that was a little mean. He wasn't a nasty person at heart. It wasn't really in his nature to be cruel. And though he threatened people with death quite often, he never really meant it. He couldn't kill a fly if he wanted to and his outward confidence was really just a charade. Demyx was weak. And by tomorrow, he would be significantly less angry at Axel. And by the next day, he would have mostly forgotten about everything.

"I don't know…" the blond mumbled. "Maybe… Maybe that's pushing it, Zex…"

"Pushing it?" His cold eyes narrowed. "He _used you_. He was sleeping with you and probably sleeping with Roxas at the same time. You poured your heart out to him and said you loved him. He's been mooching off us for what feels like years. He played you."

Demyx's grip on the countertop had slackened and he looked down at his fingers. "Zexion… I slept with you while I was still dating him."

The shorter boy blushed. "Yes. And I'm still trying to recover from that."

"Yea, sorry. I can be rough sometimes and I –"

He blushed harder. "No! I … I meant emotionally and… and that's not the point. You didn't use Axel. Every time he and Roxas had a hard time, he was all over you. Why do you think he's been over here so much recently? A sudden surge of adoration for you or because he's been quarreling with Roxas?"

Demyx shifted, unsure of how to answer that question. Axel didn't exactly seem quite that devious. Maybe a slight manipulator when he really needed or wanted something, but nowhere near as devious as Zexion was saying. The whole plan seemed too well thought out for Axel. The situation Zexion described seemed more like something that would occur within someone's subconscious. Not so direct and… on the surface.

"I don't know, Zex…" Demyx mumbled.

"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't you want to kill him all of twenty seconds ago?"

"Yea, but I wasn't serious. You know me… I don't mean half the shit I say. And I just know Axel's been working so hard on those fables. Destroying them seems…" The word 'mean' lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't let it spill out.

"Just?" Zexion questioned. "He's been working hard on them to win the heart of _someone else_. Does that not hurt you? Does that not nip at your very being? Does that not shake your already dubious self-confidence?"

Demyx stared. "… Maybe a little?"

A sigh left the shorter boy's lips and he gripped the notebook tightly. "Okay, fine. Then we just pretend we're going to destroy it. Let's shake Axel's world a little. Is that better, Goody-Two-Shoes?"

The blond nodded eagerly, quite happy to send the redhead's world tumbling down some steps.

••••••••••••••

**His fingers ghosted **over the keyboard on his phone and he reread the text message he had typed, but not sent. Roxas was right. Sora was right. His dad was trying to get in touch with him for a reason. His dad wanted to talk. His dad wanted to see him. And maybe closure wouldn't be so terrible. Riku was one to lament in the past and if his dad did just up and die, he knew that, at some point (probably during his mid-life crisis), he'd bewail over why he never spoke to his father again.

"Hey…" Sora knocked gently on the older boy's bedroom door.

Riku glanced over his shoulder at the brunet and mumbled a little 'hey' before hitting the 'send' button and closing his phone. He'd meet his dad at the bakery he worked at. He'd meet him at eight and they'd grab a coffee or something like that. They'd talk. And it would be okay.

He hoped so, anyway.

"Kairi, Naminé, and I have decided we need to sit down with Roxas and talk to him about mom," Sora said as he walked into the other's room and took a seat next to him on his bed. "We're all kind of tired of him getting a free pass to act like an ass. And… I'm kind of afraid he's going to scare off Axel for good. I think they'd be good together. Axel's annoying and sometimes he makes me want to smother kittens, but I think he's good for Roxas."

Riku didn't see how someone who made others want to smother kittens would be good for Roxas, but he didn't question it.

"I think we're going to talk to him tonight. And maybe when we get everything out in the open, he'll… I don't know. Blossom or… whatever."

Riku smirked. "I see you guys have really thought this one out."

The brunet gave him a playful smack on the arm. "Shut up."

Silence fell between them and Riku's phone buzzed from his pocket. He dug it out and read the message from his dad. His stomach did a little flip-flop at the confirmation to meet and he shifted uncomfortably next to Sora.

"I'm gonna meet my dad tonight."

Sora raised his brows. "I guess everyone is looking for closure tonight, huh?"

Riku wrapped his arms around the small brunet and laid back on his bed, taking his boyfriend with him. "I guess so."

They really didn't have the faintest idea how correct they were.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay. This is probably the shortest chapter of _AF _I've written. It's only about 7000 words. To put things in perspective, the other chapters are around 9-11k, sometimes longer. This was exceedingly difficult to write because I'm at a weird place where I'm right at the end, but if I kept this chapter going, it would have ended up being 15000 words and the last chapter. So… The next chapter is probably the last. I don't know if I'm splitting it into two or if I'm going to put it all into one. Either way, I might add a final chapter that's a sort of epilogue (but not like the _Harry Potter _epilogue which was just cancer).

I know this is short and it's been like three months since I last updated. I'm really terrible and I need to get a handle on my life. Actually, even now that I've got a handle on things, I've just had some really terrible, horrible, awful writer's block. For those of you reading _GC_, you'll be pleasantly surprised to know that I had a brief respite from my horrible writer's block at 4:00 A.M. and banged out most of the chapter. So that's that up.

A new Axel x Roxas story will come sometime soon after this one finishes. I don't know how soon. I might not even post it until I'm midway through _GC_. But I'm pretty impatient and once I have something _good_ written, I'll probably slap it right up for everyone to see.

I'm really sorry about how late (and short!) this is. I guess I actually perform better under the stress of school and work than I do when I'm doing absolutely nothing. I hope you guys are still with me and I promise, promise, promise the last chapter _will not _come with a 3 month wait. That's just terrible.

**Again, thank you to Aindel S. Druida. She beta-edits my stuff for me and she is a master of the English language. She also happens to be a comedian. So… Two very good reasons to give her profile a gander.**

Thanks for favoriting, alerting, reviewing, and tapping my story's ass. You guys are patient and wonderful.

_**I did NOT reread the 'Thank you for Reviewing' section AT ALL this time. Excuse any glaring grammatical errors or shit that makes NO sense. I want to get this posted ASAP. You may laugh / point out my flaws in your review and show me why I need to reread this section.**_

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Sana-chan9: **I guess that is the upside of how late my update was. Pretty much everyone is on summer vacation which means no homework which means free time which means reading my stories all you want until your heart's content. I actually never meant for this story to be longer than five-ish chapters because of how long each chapter was. I think the next chapter is going to be the last (or maybe the chapter after that. I'm not sure yet). I might be so inclined to do an epilogue of sorts, but I'm not sure. I don't think there will be a sequel though. I didn't really set _AF _up for that and I actually kind of hate sequels.

**IchiakiI: **Yea, I'm really glad fanfiction decided to fix whatever that weird error was. I'm also glad people saw my plight on my profile and were willing to give me a hand. Sometimes I feel seriously technology stupid.  
This story can't go on forever! Eventually, Axel has to finish writing and he has to get his book published (or not) and eventually everyone has to forgive each other and all that stuff. On the upside, the initial thought "okay. I'll write one chapter story and that's it," but that's definitely not panning out. So hooray! At least another Axel x Roxas story will be on the way soon.

**Kit-KatSoraTwix193: **Ugh, I'm not so motivated. I could never, ever write stuff on my iPhone (or iPod). I have a netbook and I seldom write on that because the size of the screen annoys me. I'm kind of spoiled with my desktop because the monitor is nice and large. I'm glad you like this story so much! Unfortunately, it's coming to a close. However, I'll probably end up posting a new A/R story soon!

**Animeluvr4life: **I'm really trying to incorporate everyone at this point. The last chapter will have a lot of the characters coming together through… mostly random happenstances. It'll also have a lot of much-needed honesty occurring which is _good_ because I'm so tired of going back through my story trying to remember what was said to who. Readers so much better at noticing discrepancies.

**Reku14: **She's definitely the voice of reason and you're mostly right. Zexion didn't just outright tell Demyx because he's smart and he knows that he could use the notebook for _other_ purposes than just ratting Axel out.

**Foreveryouandme: **Unfortunately, I think this is how most people are. Err… This would be an extremely exaggerated scale to follow, but I think the majority of people lie, cheat, backstab, and are wildly selfish. Not all people, but definitely most. And everyone has the ability to be that way. The trick is _not_ being an asshole and striving to be a good and just person.

**Wheww: **Ahhh, thanks. I know the wait for an update has been excruciatingly long! I don't abandon stories though. Not if I can help it, anyway.

**Vithian: **Hahaha, thanks. I'm glad someone doesn't mind about the lateness, but daaaaang. I hate saying "oh, hey guys. It'll be posted –blah-" and then I disappear and don't post for nearly three months. That makes me a dillhole. A huge, aching, sweaty dillhole (enjoy that). I don't think I can drag this story out anymore. Actually, I probably could, but I won't because I don't want this to end up like _Inu-Yasha_ where there is no _real _ending and an ending should've happened a looooong time ago.

**Xacilia: **You're right. Happy endings don't just fall on everyone and even though things will eventually work out, they don't always initially. To be honest, if this were real life, Axel and Roxas probably wouldn't last. In this particular story, I feel they're both just… really different and Axel is pretty stubborn. I think Axel's jealousy/stubbornness would get in the way of Roxas just wanting to move on. They'd end up in marriage counseling. Which kind of makes for a funny story idea.

**Mute: **This review makes me smile. I didn't know anyone gave a shit what was on my profile much less knew where my lyrics are from. I figured the majority of readers on ffnet were, you know… twelve-ish and didn't listen to Kid Cudi (at least… they shouldn't be). I was going to change my lyrics back to KC, but then I read this review and was like "poop. I already used those lyrics."  
I updated my story during exams. ._. And I should've been studying too. I actually ended up working all evening at the deli, going home and staying up all night to finish writing a 20 page paper about stupid fucking Hippocrates, and then going into work at 9 A.M. the next day only to finish my paper two minutes before class started. I think I got like… a B. Which was FAGGY. I certainly hope you did much better on your exam.  
Actually… I feel like my depiction of Zexion is… um… wrong. But only because I've barley played KH: CoM or KH: Days. I've had a few glimpses of his personality (and I read up on him on Wiki!) and he just… seems like an ass to me. Like he probably could be a nice guy, but… No. He doesn't want to be. I think if Zexion existed, he'd be a cynic. And I also think Zexion, who's all about "an eye for an eye," would exact revenge on anyone who dared to harm him or the people he cares about. Which sucks for Demyx because Demyx _isn't_ "an eye for an eye" person, but he goes along with Zexion to avoid hurting his feelings. Demyx, I feel, would probably operate based on how other's felt to avoid judgment. So even if he calms down and goes, "okay… Axel is human. Everything will be okay," he feels guilty / judged because he knows Zexion will disagree. Or… That's how I see it in my mind, anyway.  
Yea, Sora's kind of… the golden boy in all of this. He does forgive eventually because he just… doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge. I mean, I actually _did_ play KH: I & II and I noticed that Sora could give a shit what people do so long as they're sorry. I mean, goddamn, Riku betrayed the shit out of him and was really damn mean and then when he was all, "Sorry, bro…" Sora was like, "It's cool. Let's go for ice cream." I just don't think he has it in him to be angry and hateful. I think Riku, Roxas, and Axel do, but even then it's only to a certain extent. Part of Sora's forgiving nature is love. You're a lot more likely to forgive someone if you still love them or care about them. People can do some fucked up shit and you're capacity to forgive is tenfold when you love them.  
Love also has to do with why Axel acts the way he acts. He loves Riku (on a brotherly/friendly level) and he loves Roxas (on a romantic level) and it sucks that they both lied to him. Had Axel not known either of them and met them in college, he'd probably just be like, "that's some fucked up shit" and try his best not to get involved. I also feel that the more stressed out Axel gets, the less arrogant and cocky he is. He ran away, he knows he's being a coward, and so there's nothing for him to be cocky about.  
You're completely right, by the way. Real love _is_ showing someone where the line is. Because Axel is attempting, in some roundabout, mildly fucked-up way, to draw a line in the sand, he's making sure he protects himself _and _helps Roxas. If there was no boundary, no punishment, Roxas could easily take advantage of Axel. Having Axel punish Roxas, even though it's a little silly, means Roxas will think before doing stupid shit. He'll remember how much he hurt Axel, what Axel did, and then he'll (hopefully) think before he acts. In turn, it makes him a better person.  
Actually, I was trying to avoid listing Axel's major, but I think if you asked, he'd be an Art Major of some sort and what Roxas said would have just been a guess. I didn't want to get too much into what they were doing in college because I knew I'd forget and then somewhere along the line fuck up the storyline. Naminé is definitely an Art Major, but she should actually probably be a therapist or something. Though maybe she's too shy for that.  
Thank you. I really enjoyed your review because it's nice to have long feedback especially when it isn't just about the grammar of the story, but also about the content. I like it when readers tell me what they're thinking or what the story means to them. It means this thing actually has depth and someone is seeing that. I want _GC _to be the same way.  
Cloud is Axel's cousin by adoption and the same goes for his brother. I'm still cycling trough which person I want to be his brother. Though he'll probably only show up in the last chapter (along with Axel's parents!).  
I saw no grammatical errors in your review so kudos to you. I'm sure I've made mistakes. I reread these things once and then I post up the story. Sometimes I don't proofread at all so… I hope everything made sense.  
Thank you so much for reading and leaving your wonderful feedback. I absolutely love it.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Right! Letting Roxas get away with the way he acts means he'll keep acting that way! So far, his siblings have done little to nothing to rear him and now he walks around being gloomy and kind of annoying.  
I always view Zexion as being kind of a prick. In my world, a nice, sweet, docile Zexion doesn't exist. I think in rare instances you see it (like with Demyx), but otherwise I think he's pretty cold and calculated.

**Sunny side of cookies: **I'm still on the fence about Axel's book, but you'll know within the next chapter. I can also see why you wouldn't like Sora. I don't mean to make him self-pitying, but I do mean to make him the voice of reason. I wanted it to be him over Naminé because he was directly involved in all the bullshit that happened. I figured he was a better fit. I also figured because Sora has an amazing capacity to forgive, the role of voice of reason wouldn't be too off for him. But yea, I can definitely see how annoying he can be.  
Why do you hate Riku? Just in this story or like… forever and always? I've never actually met someone who disliked Riku all the time. I'd really actually like to know why.  
No mobs and pitchforks, please! Something large and strange smashed into my window a few days ago. I'm hereby going to assume it had something to do with you.

**EpicSonic: **I didn't want to be too predictable, so I had Cloud break the news. Also, I really wanted to write more Cloud. I like writing him because he's like Zexion (kind of cold and mean), but he's much more neutral. I see Zexion being angry and disenchanted by the world. I see Cloud being pretty neutral unless provoked.  
Demyx and Zexion will get together soon enough, I promise!

**RainbowNinjaD: **Hahaha. I guess Axel does come off a little caveman-ish. I kind of like that though because I think Axel can put up with a LOT of bullshit before the dam finally breaks and he goes on an ass-whooping rampage.

**Dear Pamela: **It's okay. I'm lazy too and I seldom review anything. The things I review, I really, really, really, really like and I add them to my favorites list (I have two stories). I'm really glad you like the way I depicted Roxas. I think one of the best things a writer can do for their story is to force the reader to fall in love (or at least really seriously like) a character. Then when the character is in turmoil, you feel bad for him. Or if he causes trouble, you get upset. But you go back to loving him as if he's someone you actually know. I think only feeling one emotion for each character means the characters are incredibly one-dimensional. And I think writing stories where the characters never fuck-up and they're never angry is just… untrue. People get mad at each other and it's usually for stupid reasons. And every person has a different way of dealing with their shit. Some people run, some people fight, and some people just stop communication altogether. Writing everyone differently with different faults and different assets just makes everything seem much more real.  
Ahh… I feel so badly for ending the story. I know a lot of people are going to be upset over it and it makes me feel like poop. I know if I keep going with it, eventually it'll get old and boring (I also hate stories that are like 30 chapters and still going). Also, if I made this story much longer, I might end up in the million-word range. That's a terrifying thought. On the upside, I'll probably do a one-shot or something that has something to do with this story. So… hooray.

**Dearlybelovedangel: **Yea, I can see why Roxas is unlikeable. Sometimes I dislike him too. Mostly because he gets so whiny sometimes and even though I wrote it, it drives me crazy. I don't think Riku has feelings for Roxas (not romantic feelings anyway) and Riku is just bitter because Roxas rejected him. Roxas was also his first so I think there's some left-over feelings there that just haven't been dealt with. They'll always kind of… hold a special place in each other's hearts, but that's what happens.

**Link'sNinja412: **Nah. Demyx and Zexion don't find the letter. It definitely has a reason for being there, but not as the catalyst for everything finally going to pot. Axel's notebook took the role on that one. I have a plan for the letter and it'll show up in the last chapter. And at this point, I don't think Axel can lie anymore. The truth has kind of spilled out everywhere and all that's left is the climax.

**Fredrikness: **That's good! It means I'm doing my job as an author! I make you feel bad and you're more inclined to read! Hooray! :P Just kidding. Though it's definitely a positive that it makes your stomach churn knowing Roxas and Riku slept together.  
Part of the moral of this story is growing up and part of growing up is realizing where peoples' faults come from (if they come from somewhere at all). Riku had almost zero parental control, so he kind of ran around doing whatever he felt like doing. He was never punished for anything and when you're never punished, you keep committing crimes. Something bad _does_ happen to Riku, but it isn't retribution. Sora's capacity to forgive comes from the fact that he knows Riku was just a kid and Riku had no one to smack him in the face and tell him no. Growing up means recognizing why people do the shitty things they do and deciding whether or not you can live with those reasons.  
Also, the past can't be changed. All Riku can do is say he's sorry and try his best to receive forgiveness. If Sora expects something different, then he'll just end up being disappointed. People can only offer an apology and a promise of change.

**Mochiusagi: **That's definitely the problem with abuse victims. They do have an incredibly hard time accepting and admitting that they were abused, especially when it was done by someone who's no longer around and shares a special bond with them. Why she did what she did is still a mystery. It'll come up in the last chapter. It'll be a SHITLOAD of climax (teehee), so… prepare for that emotional rollercoaster.

**Neitzarr: **Unfortunately, these last few chapters, especially this one, have been set-up for the last chapter. Which makes them kind of boring. It's kind of like the fifth _Harry Potter _book. It wasn't as good as the others because it was all kind of set-up for what was to come. It made the finale really great, but I actually had a hard time re-reading that book. But damn. Rowling can write a damn good fantasy book.  
No worries about review time. I took three months to update. Because I suck.

**GoalieGirl30: **Word. That shit needs to go down.

**SevenElevenOtaku: **It's actually really interesting to see what everyone has to say about this story. Everyone kind of has their own opinion on who should do what. Some people think Riku is wrong, some people think it's Roxas, and some people think the whole thing is silly and everyone should just move on. You say you're easy going, so you want everyone to just be happy. But I know someone who is a little more of a grudge holder would think Axel has a right to be mad (or that Sora and Riku shouldn't be together).

**Elufuir: **A multidimensional character is absolutely crucial to the development of not only the plot but the characters as well. If there's no growing to be done, there's no story to be had. When I write one-shots, the characters are always pretty one-dimensional, sometimes two-dimensional, but when it comes to chapter stories… It would be really, really, really boring to read so many words and so many chapters and no one ever changed or did anything different. Also, it's unrealistic for people to never lose their temper or be angry or to forgive. If everyone was hunky-dory and the world was rainbows and unicorns and shit, everyone would be flat and boring.  
Never going to declare the major. Everything else (except maybe cake) will come up in the last chapter (which again leads to the question of splitting it into two chapters or not). Yea, that was my bad on the character arrangement. I was like "I HAVE ROOM TO FIT EEEEEVERYONE IN!" when I really didn't. So… you won't see that in _GC_. Characters will make small cameos. But they won't be all over the place like in this story.

**HalfPrince: **Ah poop. I should've answered this review soon. And as you can see, I don't always update on a schedule either. I really, really try to because I want to, but it just doesn't always work out like that. And whenever I feel badly about updating, I'm just like, "well… it's okay" when I know it really isn't.  
I'm actually pretty unoriginal. I'm okay-ish with creating plot ideas, but as far as anything else goes… I kind of suck. Which is why I write ff so I don't have to think about characters, names, or any real type of back story. You could call it Generic Unoriginal Land because that's… about as creative as I get. ._.

**Miggery: **I'd be pretty pissed too. In fact, sometimes my friends talk about me behind my back (not in a bad way… as far as I know) and it bugs the crap out of me. I'd be pissed off too.

**Bbb136: **Why does everyone say that? It's funny because you aren't the first person to say "I thought this would be generic. It wasn't." I wonder what makes people think it's so… bland. I'm really thrilled it's not, but damn.  
Wow. Thanks. I've actually never really thought about professional writing because my want to write ebbs and flows. Sometimes I can write really well and sometimes everything is trashy and crappily developed. I'd like to be published, but I don't know how possible that would be.  
Ahhh, I know. The plot hole is so bad. I'm going to attempt to explain it in the final chapter or at the very least address it. I know it's there. That's the one problem with fanfiction. You can't go back and edit the whole story before publishing (unless you write out the whole damn thing first which… No).  
I'm glad you really like this story and it wasn't bland or generic. I guess my summary does make it seem like a typical story and to be honest… I guess it wasn't meant to be as big as I made (hence the plothole). Oh well. I'm just glad it's gotten as much attention as it has. It's been a ball talking to everyone about it.

**SSanity: **Yea. Axel should've told Roxas in person so really… The letter is his fault. Sora didn't have to hide it, Riku didn't have to give it to Sora, but Axel really just should've done it himself. And maybe this whole mess would've never happened (live and learn, I guess?). Demyx and Zexion will be together soon. Everyone will be in their rightful place by the end.

**Roara chan: **Thanks. I know a lot of ffnet is now poo. I'm glad my story doesn't fall into that shitty pile. I've been going back and forth on the wedding. I'm still unsure about a lot of stuff in the end (like the book being published, the wedding, etc), but I'll figure it out. I might do a separate one-shot about the wedding. It won't be that long. I might even just add it to this story as an epilogue, but I'm still unsure.

**Pianocow: **Thanks. I'm really sorry about the wait on this. I always feel like a dick whenever someone is like "can't wait for an update!" This thing should've been updated (and ENDED by now, actually) a long time ago.

**Frigdeandindy: **I HAVE TWO OF THOSE MAGNET HORSE THINGS AND I GOT THEM AT A FAIR IN NORTH CAROLINA YEARS AGO.  
… I hang them on my guitar. I also have a magnetic cow that my ex-boyfriend got for me when he made a trip to Texas. That kid sounds pretty creative. And like he wastes a lot of time. My kind of person.  
Yeaaaa. I see some serious glaring errors though. It's like… now I can't bring myself to post a chapter without my beta looking over it. I think she gets excited that she gets the newest chapter earlier than everyone else. She makes the funniest damn comments…

**BooIsBaffled: **I feel like such a dick. I keep people awake, make them not do homework, make them not study for exams, and generally make them sad. I'm like… an asshole. I kind of want to be like "HOOOOORAY MY STORY IS GOOD" but then I'm like "…I'm hurting people. I suck." I know a lot of readers will be excited to see an update and I know some of them are going to be annoyed at the wait. I don't blame them at all.  
I totally agree. I don't like the Axel x Demyx coupling at all. Generally, I'm pretty cool with all couples (even hetero ones), but I really don't like Axel x Demyx. I didn't always used to be that way, but now I'm just kind of… turned off by it.

**Double Mirror: **Oh sweet baby Jesus, I hope you aren't dead. I know I should've updated sooner. I am a putz.

**Mute: **I saw your name again and I was like "…wait…" and had to check back to see if I had written a review section for the right chapter. But thanks! I didn't even realize it had been a year! Holy crap… I can't believe a year has passed already, actually. That means, in the past year, I've dated and broken up / been dumped by 4 people. Ouch.  
Thanks for the Happy Birthday thing. Now I wish I had done something to celebrate, but… I didn't. Because I was being consumed by my life and I don't look at reviews and blahblahblah, in short: I suck. But yaaay. You're in the review section TWICE! Woopwoop!

**PumpkinLenses: **Anoooother person I kept awake. I'm sorry. I'm glad you liked the story though and I'm glad (err… not glad?) that it kept you awake. You're lucky you read it so late after the last update. It means you didn't have to wait as long for the next chapter! Hooray!


	13. He says, I Love You and Means It

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Well… At 9,000 words, I've decided to break this into two pieces.

Edit: This is now at 12,500 words. I wrote "at 9,000 words" about two hours ago.

Second Edit: It's late, derp. But if you took a gander at my profile, you'll know it was because I lost my flash drive. I was putting on a pair of shoes I never wear last night and BAM – cat toys and flash drive crammed in the toe part. Go figure.

I'm actually really impressed about everyone's massive support for the bullshit in my life. I posted that because I felt like you guys needed an explanation. I didn't expect a bunch of you to be like, "I'M HERE FOR YOU SO FEEL BETTER AND WE CAN TALK IF YOU WANT." It's nice. Makes me feel like we're more friends and not just faceless author with faceless readers. Right on.

Um… I also added a tiny bit of Leon/Cloud lime in this chapter. A gift because I added them so late into the story.

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

XIII – He says, "I Love You" and Means It

_**Hey dipshit. We **__have your notebook._

Axel'x phone slipped from between his fingertips and crashed to the floor of the coffee shop. The battery popped out from the back and he immediately got down on the floor, scrambling to grab all the pieces. He shoved the battery back into his phone, placed the case back over it, and then quickly turned it on, finding himself mildly aggravated when it didn't immediately spring to life.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," he swore under his breath as he got up from the floor. He had been writing, but not for a book. He had been writing about the various ways he could handle this situation. He was writing down the possible outcomes. Most of them involved him losing his manhood and having to search for it at the bottom of a river. One involved him being set on fire (but in that scenario, he had set himself on fire to avoid having to deal with this). The other scenarios involved emotional bullshit, honesty, and apologizing. That was obviously a no-go.

His phone finally loaded the home screen and he fumbled to get to his text messages. He reread the message Demyx had sent him and licked his dry lips.

His phone vibrated in his hands and he swore much louder than he meant when he read the message.

_Oh, and we're going to destroy it._

"FUCK!"

Several patrons of the coffee shop whipped around in their seats and gave Axel mixed looks of shock and surprise. A few were giving him cold, disapproving looks, and before a manager could walk over and tell him that that kind of language wasn't tolerated, he grabbed up his napkins, his pen, and his coffee and ran out of the coffee shop as fast as he could.

He should go to Demyx and Zexion's house. He should get his notebook and then apologize for _everything_ and, for once, just be truthful. God, he was no better than anyone else and it was only _now_ in the middle of this shitstorm that he realized it.

Axel stopped abruptly and riffled through his pockets for the napkins and pen. He really needed to write that down. He really needed to –

Oh wait. He already did.

"Obviously it was so brilliant my mind forgot I already wrote it down," he mused to himself. His mild amusement was quickly extinguished, however, when his phone buzzed loudly from his pocket. Axel quickly stowed the napkins away in the back pocket of his jeans and then grabbed his phone, glaring at the text message Demyx had sent him.

_Meet us at the park. The good park, not the ghetto one where all the crime happens. Actually, meet us at the park where the lake is. The good lake._

Axel's brow furrowed. The _good_ lake? What in the world was Demyx talking about? There was only one _nice_, non-crime ridden park, and it had a lake. He groaned and realized that maybe the blond had no fucking clue where he was going and now the chances of his notebook getting destroyed were a lot higher. He swore and started to text back, but another message came in.

_I forgot the park with the lake is the only park with a lake. So… Meet us in twenty minutes. Or we destroy the notebook._

Forgetting about his coffee (and maybe his dignity), Axel raced down the sidewalk. The park was at least a mile and a half away and sunset was already setting in. This was definitely karma. Axel knew it was karma. What else could it be? A crazy random happenstance? He highly doubted it. He had lied and cheated on Demyx. He had abandoned him on Thanksgiving to be with Roxas. He had dated Demyx just to make Roxas jealous. He had never been serious about him.

Oh God. He was worse than Riku. He was worse than Roxas.

… Maybe _worse_ was pushing it, but Jesus. He certainly wasn't any better.

••••••••••••••

**Roxas had been **napping. And now that he was done, he had decided to leave his room looking like he had just crawled out from the bottom of a hamper. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and he ran a hand through his mess of hair, trying to tame it to something less Don King-esque. He'd never be able to sleep tonight, but he figured that wasn't such a bad thing. He liked being awake at night. It gave him time to think and –

"Um…"

Roxas paused. He was standing at the doorway of his bedroom, facing the living room and staring at his siblings. Naminé and Kairi sat on the couch and had turned to face him and Sora was sitting in the armchair, looking at his feet. The blond raised his brows and cleared his throat. He ran through a mental list of reasons for why they'd all be there, sitting like they wanted to talk. His first thought was their father had died, but he quickly brushed that away. They wouldn't have gotten together to tell him like this. Sora would've just like… texted him or something.

"Well… I don't do drugs and I don't abuse alcohol, so this isn't an episode of _Intervention_," he attempted to joke. "What's uh… What's going on?"

No one said anything and Roxas awkwardly cleared his throat. His put his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and rocked on his feet.

"We need to talk," Kairi finally said. "And apparently these two are too afraid of you to say anything," she scolded.

Naminé admitted her guilt by looking away and Sora opened his mouth to protest, but then decided that this was true. Unfortunately, Kairi had become somewhat like their mother in that she wasn't afraid to say anything. She was confident and she was kind, but she certainly had no problem calling people out on their crap. Roxas had had a long time to run amok with his emotions, but it had to end and Kairi didn't mind if she had to be the one to say it.

"Wow, okay. I'm definitely not in the mood for this. So… I'm gonna go –"

"Sit," Kairi demanded.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He began to walk away, but Naminé stood and approached him. She grabbed his wrist, ignored the annoyed look that crossed his face, and braced himself for the stupid, "we just care about you and love you" speech to come before he could take off.

"Either you sit and we talk or we're going to disown you."

Roxas gave her a shocked and worried look.

Kairi and Sora exchanged shocked looks and then looked at Naminé as if she'd lost her mind. Sora stood and walked over to them. He patted his sister on the back and then placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder. The blond was still staring at his sister as if she'd just sprouted another head.

"Um, I think what Naminé means is… she's unhappy with your behavior and she wants you to sit and talk."

Naminé raised her brows. "No, I mean he needs to sit and talk _or_ I'm going to disown him, at the very least. You're ruining your life, Roxas, and I'm not going to continue to stand by and watch."

He didn't know whether to be hurt or angry or shocked or what. His sister had never even so much as raised her voice and now she was threatening to never speak to him again if he didn't sit down and talk. He looked at Sora for some help, but the brunet just shrugged. They hadn't talked about disowning Roxas. They had all expected him to run, but they would never disown him. Naminé was taking things into her own hands now, though, and Sora figured maybe it was better to let it happen.

"Um…" Kairi cleared her throat from the couch. "Nami is right. You _are_ ruining your life, Rox. And we do just want to help you."

Roxas breathed out a sigh and then rolled his eyes. "Okay. Fine. Let's talk. Let's talk about all the fucked up bullshit that I'm trying to lock deep away in my mind. Let's relive every disastrous moment of our childhood. Hey, I have an idea. How about we _reenact _what happened? That sounds like fun!" he offered sarcastically. "Kairi, you look the most like Mom, so you can be her, okay? And we'll go get Riku and he –"

"Shut up," Sora ordered. "This isn't a joke, Roxas."

"Yea, no shit. Jokes are funny. This is just… bullshit."

Kairi gave him a look. "Oh yea. Your siblings trying to help you come to terms with all the drama in your life is serious bullshit." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. She knew this wouldn't be a good idea. Springing things on Roxas was _never_ a good idea.

"You're damn straight!" the blond yelled. "Family doesn't jump on you like this!"

Sora raised his brows. "Um… Yes. They do. Your friends don't jump on you because that's family's job."

Roxas grunted and rolled his eyes. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to talk about anything at all with any of his siblings. Obviously, they had all smoked crack before they came over. Obviously, they all had some problem. Roxas was a perfectly happy, well-adjusted man. He didn't curl up at night and cry sometimes. He didn't lust over someone who he could easily have, but refused to take it. He wasn't hung up on what happened with Riku. He didn't have major mother-issues. That was his siblings projecting.

"You're just a bunch of projectors," he grumbled moodily.

Naminé made a face and looked at Sora, and then Kairi, for some translation in what he had said.

"Um… Yea, we're gonna talk." Sora forcefully led Roxas to the couch and made him sit (with a bit of a struggle) next to Kairi. Naminé took a seat next to him and he crossed his arms moodily and glared at them all hatefully.

"So… About Mom…"

"Shut up!" Roxas roared. "Mom is dead and there's nothing to talk about!"

Silence engulfed the room. Sora nervously cleared his throat after a moment and then he mumbled something like, "Yea. That's what well-adjusted men do when their mother is mentioned."

••••••••••••••

**Riku had his **hands stuffed in the pockets of his light jacket. The bakery was closed and he was waiting for his father to show up before he unlocked the door. There was so much he wanted to ask. There was so much he wanted to know. He knew he should have met his father in a public place or brought someone along with him, but something about their meeting begged for privacy. He didn't want to walk through a crowded mall with his deadbeat dad asking questions like, "So… did you really kill Mom?"

He was antsy. He had left the duplex nearly a half-hour ago and arrived way early. Riku was nervous and he normally didn't get nervous. Though he supposed he _was_ meeting up with a maybe-murderer and a definite emotionally abusive prick. That was reason enough to be nervous.

"I wish Sora was here…" he mumbled to no one but himself. He hadn't had the balls to ask his boyfriend to come along especially because the brunet had already made plans to talk to Roxas. And, to Riku, that seemed like a much more worthy endeavor of Sora's time.

"Riku?"

He looked up and was mildly shocked to see his father standing before him. Part of him thought maybe his father wouldn't show up. Riku didn't even really recognize the older man because he looked… Thinner. He looked more muscular. He looked lean and handsome like prison had been some kind of cakewalk. His hair was long and cascaded down in a beautiful, straight sheet of pure silver. His eyes were menacing and that strange orange-amber color that Riku had come to loathe.

"Prison's been good to you, Ansem," he stated much more coldly than he meant.

He grinned. "Is that any way to address your father? A tip for you, Riku, prison is only bad for those who fear the other prisoners."

Riku refused to be afraid of him. He watched his father closely as he dug around in his pocket for the key to the bakery and once he found it he unlocked the door and let them both inside.

"This is where you work?" he asked.

"Yes," Riku answered as he turned on the lights. "I'm in school, too."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Riku hesitated. "Um… Something like that, yea."

Maybe he'd come out of the closet another time.

Ansem pulled a chair out at a table and sat. Hesitantly, Riku did the same and took a seat across from his father. They stared at each other for what felt like a long time, the silence of the bakery being broken only by cawing birds somewhere outside in the distance.

"So," Riku mumbled.

"You have your mother's eyes."

He glared. "What do you want?" He didn't mean to sound so angry, but he was. He was pissed as hell and he hadn't even really realized it until this moment. "You show up from nowhere, call me all the time like you _need_ to talk to me, and then when I show up, you're calm and acting like you don't have anything to say."

Ansem watched him carefully. "What is there to say?"

"You kept fucking calling me so I was guessing _something_!" Riku yelled. He felt exasperated and he felt like a game was being played. He licked his dry lips and shook his head, annoyed that he was wasting his time. What had he expected? His father was a psychopath. This wasn't closure. This was just more of the same kind of bullshit from before.

"What is it you want to hear? A heartfelt apology? Some kind of declaration that I'm aware I messed up your childhood? I had faith in you. I knew you would succeed."

"Oh, yea, awesome." Riku made jazz hands and sarcastically muttered, "Woo-hoo, my dad is proud of me for being my own parent."

"I can't change what I did," Ansem stated apathetically.

"You could apologize," he pointed out.

His eyebrow twitched. "I _could_, but would it change anything?"

Riku's jaw went slack and he stared at his father. "Are you… Are you _shitting _me?"

"Where did you learn to swear like that?" Ansem asked, somewhat teasingly, as if they were friends.

"Cut the bullshit!" Riku stood suddenly and glared hotly. "If you aren't here to apologize, what the fuck are you here for? Do you need money? Are you running from the cops?"

He seemed highly amused which only added to Riku's rage. "I just wanted to see how you turned out," Ansem answered honestly.

Riku stared. It took his mind a moment to process what his father had said. _He just wanted to see how he had turned out_? He wasn't there to apologize or offer some explanation of what the hell had happened? He wanted to pretend like he was just the run-of-the-mill absent father and not some serious drunken asshole?

Ansem stood.

"So… So all that urgency? All that fucking calling? That was just so you could _see how I turned out_?" Riku spit. "Could you be anymore _fucked up_?"

"Well, Riku," he began, "I wanted to see if I had fucked up your life. And if I had, I would rightfully correct it. But I see I didn't. I see it wouldn't have mattered whether or not you had a father because you turned out fine without one."

Riku was shocked. Again, his mind took a moment to process what was being said. "I… Uh…" he sputtered. "You think there's nothing to fix here?" he asked.

Ansem looked Riku up and down and shrugged. "You seem well-adjusted to me."

"You _left me_ by myself and told me you killed my mother!"

"And it obviously built great character for you."

This had to be a joke. Maybe this was Axel's way of getting revenge on him or something, right? This guy wasn't his dad. This guy was just some fucking look alike Axel sent to… to totally mentally fuck with Riku's mind, right? There was no way a father could be so heartless and cruel and fail to recognize it. Riku had turned out okay, that was true, but it wasn't like things hadn't sucked for him because he lived without parents. It hadn't exactly always been fun.

He had hardly been reared. His behavior went unpunished, mostly, which was why it wasn't so strange for him to take what he wanted and be really selfish at times.

"This is a joke, right?" Riku asked quietly.

Ansem laughed and his laughter echoed throughout the bakery. "No, son. I think you're of great character."

Riku gave him the coldest, meanest look he could possibly muster.

••••••••••••••

"**Balls, balls, balls…" **he repeated to himself as hopped over a small, white-picket garden fence and trampled over someone's vegetables. It was sunset. The sky was turning that reddish, orangeish, blueish, sun-setting-ish color and Axel was running as fast as he could. He wasn't a runner though. He actually wasn't really athletic at all. He just had amazing genetics.

He was almost at the park. Whether or not his phone had gone off again, he wasn't sure, but he didn't want to stop and check because he had to get to the park. He saw it in the distance and as he ran closer, he could see Demyx and Zexion standing next to a tree, their arms crossed, looking like they were expecting someone. Demyx looked worried and Zexion looked…

Well, just as cool and collected and kind of pissed-off as ever.

Axel slid to a stop in front of them and then bent over, his hands on his knees, and panted. "I'm… I'm… here…" He breathed. He had a stitch in his side and he made a note to start jogging or doing some physical activity. Otherwise he was going to be a huge disappointment when he finally slept with Roxas. He breathed through his mouth, ignored the quizzical looks Zexion and Demyx were giving him, and tried to ease the fire in his lungs.

"Jesus Christ." Demyx checked his phone and the time of the text messages. "You ran here in under fifteen minutes."

Zexion shook his head. "This isn't time to be impressed! We have your note –" He stopped and glared and realized Axel wasn't listening. "Will you finish panting and stand up?"

The redhead stood straight, his hands on his hips, and let his chest rise and fall quickly. "Notebook?" he asked. Demyx waved it at him and then crossed his arms over his chest.

"You care more about the safety of this than you do about me."

Axel blushed. "No, Dem, I…" He groaned. "Demy, look, I'm sorry. I didn't love Roxas when I started dating you. I was writing the fables, but I didn't really think I would actually finish them or Roxas would hold his end of the deal. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt you and I know I was wrong."

Demyx frowned and looked away. He drew a little line in the dirt with his foot and mumbled, "Really?"

"Really, Demy. I'm so sorry I lied to you and cheated on you. You didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve to be tangled up in all my bullshit and I am so sorry for involving you like this. I know I should've been honest to begin with. I know now that since I was writing the fables, I shouldn't have ever gone after you to begin with. My hindsight is 20/20, but my foresight isn't, you know? I'm so sorry I hurt you," Axel offered sincerely. "You have no idea how sorry I am."

A little smile crossed the blonde's lips and he looked at Axel. "Yea…" he shrugged. "Yea, I know… I'm still really mad, but it just makes me feel better to know you're not a huge jackas –"

Zexion suddenly snatched the notebook from Demyx's hand and took off running, ignoring the shouted, "Hey!" that came from Demyx's lips. No way was the schemer going to let their plan fail now. Axel deserved this. He deserved to be treated badly. He deserved to suffer. He hurt Demyx and though the blond was easily won over by apologies, Zexion was not. He was doing this for his best friend. He was doing this to ensure Axel would never fuck with Demyx ever again.

Both the blond and the redhead took off running after the shorter boy. They had to get the notebook back. They had to rescue the fables. The intention had never been to destroy it, but Demyx didn't want to go through with their plan at all anymore. Axel had run to the park and apologized. He told Demyx he was wrong. For once, the redhead had been honest with him and it was just… Nice.

Besides, he gave forgiveness like God gave oxygen. He wasn't a grudge-holder or a hateful person.

"Zexion!" Demyx yelled as his best friend ran onto the bridge over the lake. "Zexion, stop!"

"No!" he yelled and he held the notebook over the edge of the bridge, above the lake water below. "Axel fucked with you! He doesn't deserve to be happy!"

Demyx's blue eyes went wide. "Zexion, I fucked with _you_, but you sure as hell aren't trying to ruin my life!"

"That's different!" he yelled. Axel and Demyx stood at the end of the bridge, afraid to move closer for fear the smaller boy would drop the notebook. "Axel is a dick! You're kind and sweet and good-hearted and you don't deserve to be treated like dirt!"

The blond shook his head and his features softened. "But that doesn't mean I can go around treating others like dirt! I treated you badly, Zexy, and if you're going to make Axel suffer, then you need to make me suffer too."

He gripped the notebook and thought this over. Surely there was some fallacy in Demyx's logic, but the schemer knew he was overlooking this flaw because he was in the middle of a confrontation. He didn't normally fight. He was actually quite passive aggressive. And being chased by his best friend and his best friend's asshole ex was definitely clouding his train of thought. He licked his dry lips and looked at Demyx.

"I'm trying to do this for you!" Zexion yelled.

Demyx smiled gently. "I know, Zexy. But I don't want you to do this. Destroying Axel's notebook won't make me happy and it won't make you happy either."

_Wanna bet?_ the bookworm thought bitterly.

"Axel smashed my heart, but that can be mended. If you destroy that notebook, all of his hard work will be gone forever and the bet with Roxas will be off. Axel will never get married, he'll never be happy, and Roxas will hate him forever for not trying hard enough to win his heart."

Axel's jaw dropped and he gave Demyx a horrified look. "Oh my God! I didn't even think about that! What the hell, Demyx? My whole fucking life is in that notebook!" He immediately began to advance on Zexion and the blond followed, trying unsuccessfully to stop the redhead.

"If you come any closer…" Zexion backed away, but still held the notebook over the edge. "I swear I'll drop it!"

"And risk being hated by Demyx?" Axel was inches from Zexion now. "Give me the notebook. Now."

They locked eyes and glared hatefully at one another. They couldn't stand each other. They hated each other. Every moment of the last couple months had been terrible for the both of them and they were determined to end things here and now.

Demyx stepped forward. "Axel, I don't think –" His foot caught slightly underneath one of boards of the bridge and he stumbled, mistakenly shoving Axel.

The redhead stumbled, flailed and fell forward. He head-butted Zexion (by mistake, but he wasn't exactly sorry about it) and what happened next happened so fast, Axel didn't have time to react. No one did.

The notebook slipped from Zexion's hand, flew into the air, and Axel, who was on top of Zexion, could only watch as every precious story, every declaration of love, and every moral came flying back down. All three of them watched and Zexion felt his heart sink into his stomach when the notebook landed precariously on the railing of the bridge. The railing had split it down the middle and the notebook sat, one side of it on each side of the bridge.

"Holy shit," Axel mumbled.

I'll get it!" Demyx stated happily.

"Dem, no –"

The blond hopped over Axel and Zexion and his movement on the bridge caused the notebook to slip off the edge and fall right into the lake below.

••••••••••••••

"**Roxas, listen… Mom –"**

"I can't hear you," Roxas yelled as he put his hands over his ears. "Blah, blah, blah, la, la, la. Lies, lies, lies, I can't hear you!"

Kairi looked murderous. Naminé tried her best to look unamused.

"Roxas!" Kairi barked, grabbing his wrists and yanking them down forcefully away from his ears. "Cut it out! This is serious!"

The blond pulled his hands away from Kairi and crossed them defiantly over his chest. He glared hotly at his sibling and silence fell over the room. Naminé shifted uncomfortably next to him and Sora and Kairi exchanged a look.

"Well?" the blond snapped irritably. "What atrocious lies are we spreading about Mom today?"

Sora relaxed slightly. "Okay, so you want to talk. That's progress."

Kairi rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to insert her opinion.

"Listen, Roxas. –"

"No!" the blond stood and shouted. "You listen! All any of you want to do is be all pissed off at Mom because I was the favorite! There were _four of us_! Of course _one_ of us was going to be the favorite! I'm so sorry it was me! And yea, I took her death really hard because I – Roxas Badcock – ME – I was the _favorite_! We had a special bond! We –"

"You took her death hard because you told her you hated her and then she died," Sora stated unceremoniously.

Roxas' cheeks became a thousand shades of red and the hair on the back of his neck rose. He closed his mouth and sort of half-sat, half-fell onto the couch. How did everyone know his business? How did Sora know about that? How did Kairi and Naminé? He had only told Axel about that. Or… Or maybe he had told Riku, but… But probably not considering they hadn't talked much at all after she died. He swallowed thickly and felt Naminé's hand on his own.

"It's okay, Roxas," she said softly.

"No, it's not." His face was set in a hard stare and all his siblings could see how tense he was. "I can't talk about this. I can't."

"Do you love Axel?" Kairi asked abruptly.

Sora and Naminé exchanged a look and Sora mumbled something like, "You know, why bother making a plan if we aren't going to follow it?" under his breath.

Roxas shifted uncomfortably and passed her a look that said something like, "Fuck you, why do you wanna know?" but then quickly dropped it and just shrugged. Naminé, nothing but sweet, still held his hand tightly, gripping it like she was afraid he would fade away.

"Roxas," Kairi started. "Do you love Axel?"

"Why does it matter? God, can we deal with one huge emotional trauma at a time?" He looked to Sora for support, but the way his twin's face lit up didn't seem promising for Roxas.

"So you DO love Axel!"

The blond gave the brunet a look. "I didn't say that."

"You said you only want to deal with one huge emotional trauma at a time! Nothing could be more emotionally traumatic than loving someone as self-involved and _annoying_ as Axel."

Roxas blushed and put his free hand over his face. He shook his head and sighed and tried to tell himself this was a dream or something. Maybe a really weird, really realistic nightmare or maybe even a daydream. He tried to change the color of his skin so he'd match the fabric of the couch, but he wasn't having much luck.

Judging by the way everyone was _staring_, he must still be visible.

"Look, I need to –" Roxas stood up to leave, but Naminé and Kairi both latched onto him and forced him back down onto the couch. "Stop. I want to go. I don't love Axel. I don't want to talk about Mom. I want to go."

"No, Roxas. You need to talk," Naminé stated firmly, but gently. "You can't leave. Not yet."

Roxas shook his head. He looked panicked. He was like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Except… Except he wanted to get out of the way of the headlights, but his stupid deer siblings were holding him down so he could be struck by the metaphorical Hummer.

Or something.

"Look, Roxas…" Kairi said softly. "Do you love Axel?"

He opened his mouth and then closed it, shaking his head and looking down at his feet. The question, "Why does it matter?" failed to leave his lips and instead he just offered a soft of helpless shrug. "I guess."

A pause passed between them.

"Okay. Yea, whatever. Maybe I love Axel a tiny bit, but that has nothing to do with –"

"Okay, well, if you want it to work with Axel, you need to deal with all this stuff with Mom. Axel loves you and you love him and you two aren't together. Do you see something wrong with that?" Kairi asked.

Roxas pouted. "No," he lied.

"Really?" Sora questioned.

Roxas glared. "Really."

Naminé gingerly touched her brother's arm and gripped his hand tightly. "Why won't you be with Axel?"

"We're incompatible," the blond said quickly, as if he had been practicing this. "We would never work. He's…"

"A moody, self-indulgent coward?" Sora asked dryly. "And you're…?"

Roxas gave his twin a dirty look. "Being a smart ass doesn't equate to being helpful."

The brunet shrugged somewhat apologetically and looked away. He was just trying to break some of the tension in the room. Tension was like gas and all they needed was a little spark to start a huge, uncontrollable fire.

"Are you afraid of getting hurt?" Naminé asked gently. "We all know what happened with Mom and with Riku, but… But you can't let either of those things ruin what you could have with Axel."

"Look, it wouldn't work," Roxas growled. "Mom left, Riku left, and now Axel left. They're all the same. And… And aren't we supposed to be talking about Mom?" He licked at his dry lips. "Why do we have to bring up Axel all the damn time?"

"Because we wouldn't even be having this conversation if you'd man-up and go tell Axel you love him. But you won't," Kairi said.

Roxas leaned back into the couch, stewing in his own tepid pool of embarrassment and stupidity. His cheeks were flushed pink, slightly from shame and slightly from anger, and he shifted uncomfortably. So what if he loved Axel and didn't want to tell him? That was his business. It really wasn't his siblings' place to butt in and tell him who to proclaim his love for.

"Years ago," Roxas began suddenly, "when mom was still alive… She told me that… that the person who called me 'Roxy' unprovoked would be my soul mate." He shifted uncomfortably and crossed his arms. "Axel called me 'Roxy' the first time we met."

And that was the first time Roxas had been honest with his siblings in years.

••••••••••••••

"**I think we're **done here. I won't be contacting you again."

Riku stared and watched Ansem walk toward the door of the bakery. He didn't move. He was rooted to the spot. He was so angry and all the old feelings of _hate _and _resentment _raged in his chest. He swallowed thickly and shook his head.

"Did you kill Mom?"

If he knew, maybe if he just knew, he could work on accepting it and getting over it. He hated wondering about it. He hated thinking about it, lamenting over it, and wondering if she really _did_ die by the hand of his father. His fists were clenched so tightly that they were white, and part of Riku felt that if he knew the answer to at least that, he could maybe just forget all the other bullshit his father was spewing at him.

Absent for all these years and all he wanted to know was if Riku had done a decent job raising himself. Ansem really felt there was nothing else wrong with this situation at all. Riku turned out "okay" and there was nothing to correct? Obviously, he needed to spend a day in the duplex to see what kind of shenanigans went on.

"Did you kill Mom?" Riku repeated, this time with more urgency.

There was a glint in Ansem's amber colored eyes and a smirk slowly curled his lips upward. "Now, Ri, what kind of man would I be to let my wife die by my own hand?" He grabbed the doorknob on the bakery's front door.

"That isn't an answer!" he yelled. "You told me you did!" There was panic in his voice and he wasn't sure why. Ansem was leaving, but there was still so much Riku wanted to say. There was still so much he felt _needed_ to be said and Ansem didn't even care.

"I was also drunk, if you've forgotten." He opened the door and walked out of the bakery, mild annoyance crossing his features when he noticed Riku was following him. Ansem stopped walking and sighed, glancing over his shoulder and mumbling, "What do you want from me?"

"You abandoned me!" Riku raged. "You... You left me to fend for myself, you dick! You told me you _killed_ my mother!" Without thinking, he shoved Ansem, causing him to stumble forward slightly. He turned on Riku, his features dark, and the hair on the back of Riku's neck stood up.

His father had never hit him. Physical abuse was obvious and the scars from it were nowhere as deep as the ones emotional abuse created.

Riku didn't know what he was doing anymore. He had wanted an apology, maybe for his father to cry or something, but this coldness, this nastiness he displayed… It tore at Riku's inner being and he couldn't take it. His father had royally fucked up his childhood and now he was pretending it wasn't a big deal. Now he was acting like Riku was in college and he had a job and a significant other, so he must be a well-adjusted person.

Well, he wasn't. And Ansem owed him something.

"Perhaps you aren't as smart as I pegged you to be. I would advise _against_ childish antics such as shoving, my boy."

Riku responded by taking a swing at his father, landing a successful punch somewhere on his cheek, near his nose.

Ansem gave his son a cold, unforgiving look, and then turned on his heel, refusing to be a part of some kind of foolish fight. He had spent enough time in prison and he didn't fancy spending any more. He also wasn't going to give Riku the satisfaction. Because he was done dealing with children and he was ready to move on. If Riku wasn't, then…

Well, that was his own problem.

"You're not gonna fight?" Riku yelled after him, his voice hoarse. "What? Now that I'm an adult, it just isn't fun to pick on me anymore?"

Ansem had no trouble ignoring him and Riku didn't bother chasing him. Instead, he just watched his father walk off into the sunset and he had a sinking feeling that would probably be the _last_ time he ever saw him.

What a bastard.

••••••••••••••

"**Cloud…"** Leon's tongue darted out to wet his lips and he gripped a fistful of the blonde's hair. "Jesus," he groaned and allowed his eyes to close, enjoying the sensation of his boyfriend's mouth on his erection. They really shouldn't be doing this at the police station, but Leon was the only cop on duty at the moment and there were no delinquents in the holding cells. Had Cloud just worked on his motorcycle and _not_ dropped by the station, Leon wouldn't even be having this problem right now.

"Fuck," he breathed, his eyes half-lidded with lust. Why did Cloud have to be _so good_ at it? Not that that was a real complaint. It was just his boyfriend _knew _how good he was at it and would do things like show up at Leon's work, get him all riled up, and then drop to his knees and work Leon free from his uniform pants.

And what was Leon supposed to do? Say _no_? Pft. Yea, right.

"Mm, Cloud…" He moaned softly, enjoying the way the blond bobbed up and down on his throbbing erection. He loved the way his lips felt, the way his tongue felt, and the way he could work Leon over so easily. He loved that this kind of thing took place at work and he enjoyed the irony of a man of the law receiving a somewhat public blowjob.

Leon was close. Cloud had been working him for a while now and he was getting so close to that high point. He breathed in deeply and let out a soft groan, his fingers gripping the other's blond hair tightly in a show of dominance. He'd probably pay for this later, but at the moment he didn't care. It was just him, Cloud, and his ever nearing moment of –

"Goddamnit," Leon swore when he heard the police station phone ring. Cloud didn't stop blowing him and because he was sitting on his desk, he was torn between answering the phone or just hoping to reach his release fast enough. The phone rang twice more before Leon groaned, picked it up, and grunted, "Hello?" into the receiver.

Cloud continued to blow him, his blue eyes filled with amusement. He dug his fingernails into the brunet's thigh and he removed his mouth from the other's erection. He lapped teasingly at the head, his hand working the base of Leon's shaft as the brunet struggled to keep an even voice on the phone.

Cloud knew he'd pay for this later, but at the moment he didn't care.

"Y-yes." He blushed and cleared his throat. He wanted to throttle Cloud. He wanted to throttle him _or_ grab a fistful of his hair and force him back down, but he couldn't successfully do either while on the phone. His toes curled in his shoes when he felt Cloud lap at his erection from bottom to top and Leon found himself _despising _the other person on the line for not kindly _shutting the fuck up_ so he could get back to business.

"Yes, yes, I'll be there right away," he growled through gritted teeth.

Cloud looked mildly deterred, but that didn't stop him from placing his lips over the head of Leon's cock and sucking gently. His hand still worked the other's shaft up and down and when Leon hung up the phone, Cloud looked up at him for an explanation.

"Oh my God… I'm going to kick Axel's _ass _if this assault has _anything _to do with him." He pushed Cloud away and slipped off his desk, ignoring the semi-offended look the blond was giving him. Leon attempted to fix himself comfortably in his work pants, but it just… wasn't happening. He was fully erect, nearly at the peak of his arousal, and now he was seriously annoyed about this whole assault thing near the local bakery.

Cloud came toward Leon and wrapped his arms around the brunet's waist. "Break Axel's _neck_ if it has anything to do with him," he purred into the other's ear.

Leon allowed the tiniest of smiles to grace his features. "Permission to kill your cousin. You really know how to excite a man, Strife."

Cloud graced the shell of Leon's ear with his tongue. "I don't know how to excite men. I know how to excite killers."

Leon was really okay with this.

••••••••••••••

"**Run**," **Demyx said **as soon as Zexion stood. The schemer was nursing a bloody nose – courtesy of Axel's headbutt – and he was slightly dazed by what had happened. Demyx was clutching his arm and saying "run" over and over again, but Zexion didn't know what they needed to be running from. The fables had fallen…

"I'm going to kill you," Axel said very calmly as he took a step toward Zexion. Demyx grasped the other and backed-up on the bridge, his throat dry and his eyes wide. "And then I'm going to throw your lifeless body over the railing and into the fucking river!"

"W-wait Axel!" Demyx tried, "Zexion didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

The slightly dazed boy blinked hard a few times and tried to right everything in his brain. "Wait…" he mumbled. "The fables are gone? The fables are gone? We destroyed them?" His ecstatic and triumphant appearance didn't do anything for Demyx's claim that it was all a simple accident. Axel was _seething_ with rage and only another second passed before Demyx gripped Zexion tightly and was running off the bridge and away from Axel.

"It _was_ an accident," Zexion admitted to Demyx, "but a damn good one!"

"Zex!" the blond growled. "Axel is pissed. I'm worried for your safety, I –" He tripped in the dirt (his shoe laces had come untied) and fell flat. Zexion paused to help him up, but before he could even bend down, Axel grabbed the front of Zexion's shirt and shoved him forcefully against a tree.

"I'm not fucking kidding. You are a dead man," the redhead said through gritted teeth. He raised his fist and Zexion flinched, but the blow never came. Instead, he was suddenly released and he slid down the length of the tree, his bottom hitting the ground roughly.

He had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly. He was beginning to think maybe he had a concussion, but it looked to him that Demyx had jumped on Axel's back and was pulling the redhead's hair. The blond was yelling something that sounded like, "I don't want to hurt you, but you can't hurt Zexion," but this all felt like a really surreal dream.

He had a concussion. Axel's head butt must've knocked him senseless. He was confused and dazed and –

"Fuck!"

Axel and Demyx fell into him, knocking his head roughly against the tree and if he hadn't had a concussion before, he definitely had one now.

"I'll fucking kill both of you then!" Axel raged, quickly regaining his composure and grabbing Demyx up by the front of his shirt. "Those fables were _everything_!" he yelled. He raised his fist at the blond, but Zexion swiftly knocked him off his feet. Axel fell into Demyx, but then was suddenly yanked backward by the schemer himself.

Zexion stood over him, dripping blood onto the redhead's face. "Haven't you caused enough trouble?" he attempted to say. He was really dazed. He had hit his head hard.

Axel responded by grabbing Zexion's ankles and yanking him to the ground. He quickly got on his feet and crawled on top of the shorter boy, landing one successful punch across his already bleeding face.

And that was all that he had to do to set Demyx off.

Axel felt the back of his shirt being grasped and then he was yanked off Zexion. The redhead fell onto the ground and was met with the extremely unfriendly (and slightly terrifying) sight of Demyx, whose eyes seemed to glow red with wrath.

"Get up," he said fiercely. Axel immediately stood.

And Demyx struck him. Hard. He grabbed the front of Axel's shirt, shoved him against the very tree Zexion had been against only moments earlier, and began to beat the living _shit_ out of Axel. It didn't matter that there was blood. It didn't matter that, at some point, he had really liked Axel. It didn't matter that he could seriously hurt the other. He was so angry.

"You're an aggressive _fuck!_" Demyx yelled as Axel attempted to block some of the blows. "And you should pick on someone your _own _fucking size!" He threw Axel to the ground and continued to savagely beat him, anger flooding all his senses. "Don't you _ever_ touch Zexion _ever_ again!" he raged.

And Axel, who finally saw an opening, attempted to take a shot back, but Demyx was being pulled away and the fight was over.

He sat up, his head pounded, blood leaked from his face, and he saw Officer Leonhart shoving Demyx against that poor, abused tree, and cuffing him. Zexion, who seemed incredibly out of it, had stood and was attempting to say something to Leon.

"Do I need to cuff you too?" Officer Leonhart growled hotly at Axel.

Axel shook his head and immediately regretted it. His head was throbbing with pain.

"All of you are coming with me."

Axel got into the back of the police car without a word. Demyx was shoved in next to him and Zexion took a seat up front. And before Axel could protest, he saw why Zexion took the front. There were already three people in the back.

Him, Demyx, and…

"Riku?"

Riku tried not to be offended by the blood Axel had flung on his face by saying his name. "Could you… wipe your blood off my face? I'm kind of cuffed."

••••••••••••••

**By the time **Leon had put Zexion and Demyx into one holding cell and Riku and Axel in the other, his erection was completely gone and so was Cloud. The blond had left as soon as he saw all four of them getting out of the police car with Leon because he knew it would be paperwork city for the next few hours. And while Cloud adored his boyfriend and would have loved to stay and distract him, he didn't figure anyone else would really want to watch.

Though it would be good punishment for them all.

From the sink in the holding cell, Riku had wet a few paper towels and had begun to clean the blood off Axel's face. The redhead didn't protest much because he wasn't really in a position to and he was kind of curious as to why his former best friend was in the slammer. Riku had been in jail with him once and ever since then he had been clean.

"What happened?" they both asked at once.

"Sorry," Riku mumbled. "Go ahead."

"Um…" Axel licked his lips and tasted the tang of blood. "Zexion destroyed my fables."

"ON ACCIDENT," Demyx screamed from the next cell over. He was tending to Zexion's minor wounds and still feeling incredibly angry.

"Yea, whatever…" Axel rolled his eyes.

"Are you serious?" Riku looked completely floored. "Oh my God. Did you have them on your computer? Typed up or something? Copied down anywhere else?"

The redhead sadly shook his head and tried to ignore the horrible feeling in his chest. "They were for Roxy, Cheeseburger. They were everything to me because I knew they would be everything to him. I worked so hard on them, I –"

"I know," Riku mumbled. And then he did something completely out of character for himself. He _hugged _Axel. "I'm so sorry, Ax."

And the redhead, surprisingly, hugged him back.

"And… And then I told Zexion I was going to kill him," Axel continued. "And when I got Zexion down, Demyx jumped on me. Then we fell and I jumped on Demyx, but then Zexion pulled me off him, so I knocked Zexion down. And then I got on top of Zexion and barely fucking touched him WHEN PSYCHO DICKWAD IN THE NEXT STALL OVER WENT APESHIT ON MY FACE," he screamed.

Demyx ran to the bars of the cell and gripped them tightly. "You HIT him! You fucking threatened to kill him! You're damn right I went apeshit on your face!" the blond yelled back.

"Shut up!" Leon barked from his desk.

They didn't need to be told twice. Demyx settled down next to Zexion and stroked his hair, worried about him and the two injuries he had received. One from the accidental head butt and the one from smashing the back of his head into the tree. Zexion was definitely dazed, but not totally confused which Demyx took as a good sign.

Riku continued sopping up the blood on Axel's face and tried not to look too alarmed when he had cleared most of the blood away. "About your fables, Ax, I'm… so sorry. I read a lot of them, maybe I can help rewrite –"

Axel shook his head. "It's not the same," he mumbled. "I put everything I felt for Roxas into those words in those fables."

Riku wadded up the bloodied towels and threw them on the floor. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could do something."

Axel snorted. "Go scuba dive in the river for my notebook."

"Anything if it means you'll forgive me."

The redhead smiled slightly. "I hugged you, didn't I? I think that means we're cool."

Riku shifted uncomfortably and then suddenly blurted, "I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have told you like that! Roxas should've… It was his business! I'm so sorry, Axel. And, you know, I didn't use Roxas! I swear to you, I didn't. I cared about him a lot. It wasn't just stupid, meaningless sex. I really did care."

Axel put a hand on Riku's shoulder and nodded. "I know, Cheeseburger. And I'm over it. I feel like my heart is going to burst if I don't see Roxy soon. And it sucks not having a best friend anymore. Even if it is one that lies and keeps things from me."

"No more," Riku stated honestly. "You're right. We _are_ best friends. Before you moved to Carmine, we promised we'd always be friends and I'm sorry I haven't trusted you enough to… share my feelings or whatever bullshit. But I'll tell you everything. I just want this cold war to end."

The redhead raised a brow. "Don't… tell me everything. Tell me most of it. I want this to end too though, because talking about 13 inch cocks with Kairi and Naminé just isn't the same as talking about it with you."

Riku smirked and then fell silent. After a moment, he tentatively asked, "Do you… wanna hit me or something?"

Axel looked at him. "What?"

"Do you wanna hit me? For all this bullshit?"

The redhead thought this over, weighed the pros and cons, and then nodded eagerly. "Yea. I wanna hit you."

Riku nodded. "Okay." He braced himself. "Hit me."

Axel raised his fist and as he brought it close to Riku's face, he lightly tapped his cheek.

The silver haired boy relaxed, looked at Axel, and smiled. "Thanks."

"Just kidding!" And Axel struck him for real.

Riku held his cheek and swore. He should've known better. He should've known Axel wasn't that much of a saint (or even saint-like at all). He swore again and ignored the goofy grin that was plastered over his best friend's face and he only stopped holding his cheek when Axel suddenly asked him why he was in jail.

"Oh…" Riku rubbed his face. "Well… You know how my dad and I are estranged? He's been calling me for a while now and he's wanted to meet up and talk to me. And I met up with him today and we talked, except he…" He paused and tried to find the right words. "Was a major douchebag. My mom died when I was twelve and my dad was arrested later. I raised myself when I was in high school. And my dad came by to see if I became a 'well-adjusted adult.' He didn't care about apologizing or making things right."

Axel frowned. "And he hit you?"

"Oh, no, I hit him. He wouldn't respond." Riku paused. "Well, I guess calling the police was his response, but it wasn't the response I wanted."

The redhead chuckled. "So… How do you feel?"

"As shitty as your face looks."

Axel sighed. "Great. So much for looking my best when facing Roxy."

Riku shrugged his shoulders and smirked. Something told him Roxas wasn't going to care what Axel looked like provided he was coming home for good.

"I think you should go to a hospital," Demyx said softly. He cupped Zexion's cheek and stared into his eyes. "I think you have a concussion."

"Me too," Zexion agreed in an unusually cheerful manner. "You defended me. You beat Axel's ass."

Demyx looked troubled. "Yea, but maybe you should tell Leon you have a concussion and that you need to go to the hospital."

"You love me," Zexion insisted. "You love me as much as I love you."

The blond blushed. "Zexion, I really think the hospital –"

"Demy, I couldn't feel any better. You love me and I –" Without warning, he vomited all over Demyx's shirt. "All right, _now_ I couldn't feel any better."

"Leon!" the blond called from his holding cell. "Zexion just threw up on me and he's being abnormally cheerful! He needs a hospital!" He paused. "And I need a new shirt!" He placed his hands on the schemer's shoulders because he was swaying. Demyx didn't want him to pass out and smash his head on something _else_.

And even though he was in a concussion-induced haze, he knew he was right.

Demyx loved him.

And Demyx knew it too.

••••••••••••••

"**Mom did love **you," Sora said from his seat on the armchair. "She was jealous of Axel."

Roxas' brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You were taken with him," Naminé explained. "You were always taken with Mom and then all of a sudden, you had someone else."

Guilt welled up in his chest when he remembered how he had compared her and Axel _to her face_. He swallowed thickly and looked away, embarrassed by his actions and feeling that maybe he had handled how he felt for Axel all wrong.

"But… But I was taken with Riku!" Roxas defended.

Sora frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "Riku wasn't like Mom. At all. And she had met him and knew that. And you weren't taken with Riku the way you were taken with Axel. Mom knew Axel."

Roxas' brow furrowed. "No she didn't," he said quickly. "No. No, how could she have?"

"Axel's adoptive dad worked in the same building as she did. She saw Axel around. Maybe you haven't noticed, but he's hard to miss. She had small conversations with him, tried to get to know him, but he didn't know who she was."

Roxas gripped Naminé's hand tightly and tried to hide his embarrassment. How come he didn't know any of this? How come no one had ever told him? How come his mother had never been honest with him? He looked down at the floor and tried to absorb what they were saying.

"Mom sent you after Riku because she was afraid Axel would take you away," Kairi explained gently. "She saw what happened to Sora. Once he was involved with Riku, he was either never around or Riku was always around. And as much as it torments us all, you _were_ her favorite, Roxas."

His blush deepened and he shook his head. He had never actually believed he was the favorite. That was just something he said to kind of help himself get through the whole entire thing. Some kind of proof that his mother actually _did_ love him. But he never believed it. Not even for a second.

"Not at first," Naminé chimed in. "At first, you annoyed her. You always skipped school which meant she had to skip work. You wanted time with her, but she didn't want time with you. So she told you that you were her favorite because it got you to do what she wanted. She dangled the 'you're my favorite' thing in front of your face so she could manipulate you."

He had always suspected it, but he had never actually really entertained the thought. He never figured someone could be so cruel to their own flesh and blood. A mother's instinct was to protect, not to harm.

"But somewhere along the line, she fell in love with you," Sora mumbled. "Not… in a creepy romantic way. She didn't want to _sleep_ with you or anything, but she fell in love with you. And then Axel came into the picture and she got jealous. So she told you to go after Riku. And you did."

Roxas tried to ignore the guilt and the hurt that had built up in his chest. "Then… Then why did she pretend she had never said anything? Why did she hit me and tell me she didn't know what I was talking about?" The urgency in his voice frightened he and his siblings and he felt Naminé gently squeeze his hand to tell him it was okay.

Kairi leaned forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Sora sat farthest away, unsure of how much he could actually take of this. Roxas had the reassurance that their mother loved him. Sora didn't. And he never would.

"I don't…" Sora tried to find the right words. "I don't think Mom thought Riku would dump you. I think she honestly thought Riku and you would eventually be found out, but Riku would keep dating you. She had been wrong." He sighed. "I think she was afraid you would be disappointed in her. I think she was scared that you would stop listening to her advice."

Roxas had never meant to give his mother that impression. Just because she was wrong hadn't meant… He shook the thoughts from his head and covered his face with his free hand. He was embarrassed. He felt stupid and he was completely embarrassed.

"All this time, I thought…" He hesitated. "I thought she hated me."

Sora laughed a bit mirthlessly. "She didn't hate you. She hated me."

Kairi and Naminé didn't jump to his defense. They didn't bother to counter that because they knew that it was probably true. The information they had they had found out through their father who, after some really thorough and aggressive interrogating, finally spilled the beans about everything. Their mother, though seemingly not very close to their father, had told him everything. And he had never bothered to warn any of his kids.

Because he was under the same spell Roxas had been under. The Curse of Mama Badcock, as Kairi had once affectionately termed it.

"She… She didn't hate you…" Roxas offered weakly, though he was unsure.

Sora swallowed thickly. "She told Dad she didn't like me. Back before you actually became the favorite, Kairi and I were the golden children. I always got better grades than you and I was on sports teams." He hesitated. "I'm sorry, Roxas, I'm not trying to say I was better. Neither of us were or are better. But to her, I _was_. But then she fell in love with you and… I got Riku. You wanted him. And she wanted you to have him.

"But it didn't work out like that," Sora continued. "So she pretended she had never said anything to you. The consequences were so bad that she… thought it was better to pretend. In the end, it made you end up hating her."

Roxas blushed and passed Sora an apologetic look. He felt guilty. After all this time – all this moping about his mother – and it was really _Sora_ who was hated. It was _Sora_ who suffered under her abuse. Roxas was used like a pawn, but he was used that way because she loved him. Mrs. Badcock did what she did to Sora because she just _didn't like him_ and he knew how crushing that must be for his twin.

"I'm sorry," Roxas choked out. "I didn't…" He shook his head. "I didn't know it was like that. I –"

Sora waved his hand. "Water under the bridge," he mumbled. "And it isn't your fault, Roxas. It's not my fault or Riku's fault or Kairi's or Naminé's... It was Mom's fault."

Roxas caught his lower lip between his teeth and he looked at nothing. He hated this. He felt so guilty and so horrible for acting the way he had. He felt so terrible for Sora. After all this time, he was sure he had been the one who was hated and yet…

Roxas' phone began to vibrate in his pocket and for the first time in an hour, he let go of Naminé's hand to retrieve it. His stomach did a flip-flop when he saw it was Axel and he answered it immediately.

"Hello?"

"Roxy, I'm in jail."

Roxas stood up suddenly. "You're _what_?"

"Jail. You know, the slammer? I now know why the caged bird sings."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Why are you in jail?"

"Oh, I was visiting Riku," he stated sarcastically. "No, but seriously… Tell Sora Riku's in jail too."

From somewhere in the background, Roxas heard Riku yell, "Hey."

"Come bail me out," Axel commanded. "Please," he added.

And because it was the first time Axel had requested Roxas for _anything _in months, he snapped his phone closed, quickly told Sora Riku was in jail, and ran into his bedroom to find some shoes to put on.

Closure later, prison now.

••••••••••••••

**By the time **they arrived at the police station, Zexion and Demyx had gone off in an ambulance to the nearby hospital and Leon had just finished filing away their paperwork. Kairi and Naminé had stayed behind at the duplex, but Sora had insisted he come because he was worried something bad had happened between Riku and his father.

"Don't run," Leon scolded when Roxas and Sora came flying through the door. "They aren't going anywhere."

Sora blushed and Roxas just stared at Axel because he looked like a fucking mess. One of his beautiful jade eyes had a dark, deep bruise forming all around it. He had a little bit of dried blood matted in his hair, his nose was swollen at the bridge, and he had a lovely bruise forming on his right cheek and lower jaw. His top lip was also split down the middle and when he smiled at Roxas, he also winced.

"What happened?" Roxas ran up to the holding cell and wrapped his fingers around the bars. Axel responded by wrapping his hands over Roxas'.

"Demyx beat me up," the redhead responded simply. Next to them, Sora and Riku were having their own reunion. Somehow, it just seemed unimportant to Roxas.

"Why?" the blond questioned.

"I threatened to kill Zexion," Axel responded simply.

Roxas looked at him, his brow furrowed. "Again… Why?"

Leon walked over with the key to the cell and released both Axel and Riku. At some point, Sora had paid Leon the bail fine and now both the redhead and his best friend were free men. As soon as the cage opened, Axel had his arms around Roxas and he was crushing the small blond to his body. The smell of honeysuckle overwhelmed his senses and he had never been so happy to smell the scent of flowers in his life.

"We need to take a walk," Axel said coolly once he had released Roxas from his death-grip of a hug. "We need to talk."

Riku, who had been happily filling Sora in on everything that had occurred, gave a brief nod to Axel. "See you at home?"

Axel nodded.

And Roxas beamed.

••••••••••••••

**They walked hand-**in-hand even though they weren't dating. It just felt natural and right and now that Axel wasn't with Demyx anymore, their hand-holding felt loving instead of devious. He liked how their fingers fit together. He liked how, despite their size difference, they were clearly like two pieces of the same puzzle. He also liked the sunshine, the grass, the warm air of summer twilight, and he really liked everything and anything so long as Roxas was by his side.

"Why were you going to kill Zexion?" Roxas asked for the third or fourth time since they had left the station. He was antsy. He wanted to know what had happened.

"Patience is a virtue, Zombie."

The blond attempted to pull his hand away, but Axel clutched it tightly.

"This is my hand now," he stated authoritatively. "You had your many chances to reject me and you didn't. This hand is mine."

"I want to know what happened, Firecrotch," Roxas groaned.

"Ugh, fine." He sat down on a nearby bench, yanking Roxas along with him. Though they sat next to each other, they could have easily also been sitting on top of each other. Axel was taking full advantage of being able to actually be _near_ Roxas and he was soaking up every moment they were spending together.

Axel dropped the blonde's hand and snaked his around his waist. He pressed a warm kiss to his cheek and mumbled something like, "God, I missed you."

Roxas felt goose bumps erupt all over his skin and colored flooded his cheeks. "You could've come back," he muttered shyly.

"No," Axel corrected. "If I came back too early, I would've ended up crushing your skull in. Isn't this much nicer?"

Roxas felt he couldn't disagree so he just nodded and laid his head against the redhead's chest.

"Tell me what happened," he commanded.

"Well…" the redhead began. "I was writing something."

The blond pulled away and looked up at Axel with wide, bright eyes. "_You were_?" He tried to keep his shock to a minimum, but found he really couldn't.

"Yea," the redhead nodded. "We had a bet."

"Had." Roxas frowned. "We _had_ a bet?"

Axel thought this over for a moment, but then merely shrugged. "Yea. I was writing something and it got destroyed. And it was Zexion who destroyed it. It was an accident, but… That's why I threatened to kill him."

Roxas ignored the anger that sat in the pit of his stomach. Axel had actually written something for him, for their bet, and now it was gone. For fear that Axel _would_ actually pulverize Zexion into nothing but atoms, he didn't mention his extreme annoyance at the schemer.

"What was it?" Roxas prodded gently.

"It was… It was _Axel's Fables_," he said after a moment of silence. "I know how much _Aesop's Fables _meant to you and I –" He was cut off by Roxas' lips suddenly on his own and the thought of pushing the other off came to mind because they were in a public place, but then he felt Roxas' tongue in his mouth and his mind switched to autopilot.

It felt _so good_ to be doing this with Roxas. Goddamn, it felt so good to finally be kissing him and having him kiss back. It felt so amazing to have Roxas practically in his lap, kissing his mouth urgently, and _clearly_ asking for more.

"Mm." Axel broke their kiss (quite reluctantly) and tangled a hand in the other's mess of blond hair. "What…?"

"You wrote those fables for me," Roxas mumbled shyly. "And… And it's sweet. And I guess I always figured you were too self-centered to care about the bet. I didn't…" He smiled – a genuine smile – and Axel grinned at him in response.

"I've thought about you every single day since I moved into that stupid duplex," Axel admitted. "Roxy, you're the only person I think about. Every time I drink coffee or see a pick-up truck or see the color blue, I think about you. My mind barely _ever_ stops to think about anyone or anything else."

Roxas cupped Axel's cheek and stroked it affectionately. Their eyes met and they were both somewhat overwhelmed by the intensity of the other person's gaze. They were one huge smattering of emerald into sky-blue and Axel's whole entire world was sent into a tailspin. All from one look, Roxas could make or break his entire world.

"I love you."

The words spilled out so fast, Axel wasn't sure who said them. But the slight blush on Roxas' cheeks, the embarrassment etched on his features, and the way he withdrew slightly… He had admitted it first. And that was a big deal considering all the bullshit they had been through. Axel gripped the other tightly and yanked him close, crushing their bodies together again in a death-grip of a hug.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that," Axel whispered quietly, the confession only for Roxas' ears alone.

Roxas had his arms wrapped tightly around Axel's neck and he clutched the other as if he was afraid he would disappear. He grabbed at Axel like a child grabs at their mother. He held Axel so closely and so tightly, he was afraid he was going to suffocate the other or cut off circulation. But Axel had no complaints because he was just so damn happy to be in Roxas' embrace.

"Can you keep a secret?" Axel asked playfully.

Roxas withdraw from their embrace slightly and nodded.

The redhead leaned in and the hair on the blonde's neck rose when he felt Axel's lips brush against his ear. His cheeks flushed slightly and all the desire he had for Axel – the desire he had been denying the both of them – had built up. He was liable to crack if this went on. He gripped the redhead tightly and goose bumps erupted all over his skin when the other whispered softly,

"I love you, too."

He withdraw from Roxas' slightly and then pressed their forehead's together. Axel flinched from the bump on his nose, but he ignored the minor pain.

"It'll be our little secret," Axel joked. "And maybe four years from now we can spring it on Riku and Sora."

Roxas smiled. "Good idea," he played along. "They'll never know what hit them."

Their lips met in the tenderest of kisses imaginable and Axel practically felt his body melt. He was going to have Roxas, both physically and emotionally, and this thrilled him to no end. It was like being told he won the lottery forty times. It was like finding out he won a lifetime supply of free trips to Disney World. It was like tripping over something in the grass, but finding out what he tripped over was actually a solid gold egg.

Their tongues met, this time a little more shyly than before, and Axel felt that same electric shock jolt through his body. Every time Roxas kissed him, he felt like he had just been jolted awake. Every kiss felt like tiny fireworks. Every touch, no matter how minor, made him feel hot and alive. He felt like he swallowed thirty tablets of E and he was really appreciating this natural high Roxas was giving him.

"I love you," Axel breathed when their kiss broke. "Jesus Christ, I love you…" He gave the blonde's hair a little yank and nibbled his bottom lip. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to say that."

Roxas felt his own body heat with desire and need and he tangled his hands in Axel's red hair. He was practically in the other's lap now and their lips kept pressing against each other's in small, but needy kisses. It had been so long since they had last been together or touched or even seen each other.

Now Axel _could_ sleep with Roxas and everything would be okay. Now Roxas wouldn't just be another notch in his bedpost, another name on the list. Now Roxas would be something special and even if Axel wasn't his first, he would be happy to be his last.

"The bet," Roxas mumbled through their kisses.

Axel's eyes were half-lidded with lust and he raised his brows. "What about it?"

The blond shifted on the other's lap and then pressed a kiss to his chin affectionately. "Is it… Off?"

Axel mulled this over and didn't answer for a few moments. He ran his fingers soothingly through Roxas' hair and then he breathed out a small sigh. Was it over? He _had_ written a book, but it had gotten destroyed. And would marriage even matter now? They were a bit young to be thinking about marriage and all, but…

Axel smiled brightly as an idea suddenly hit him. He pressed a little kiss to Roxas' lips and mumbled, "No. This isn't the end."

Roxas didn't question him.

* * *

**A/N: **_**THIS IS NOT THE END.**_

Please don't leave me angry reviews that say things like, "THAT'S THE END?" because it's not. This is at 12,500 words and I really don't want to stretch it out anymore. So the next chapter will be the end. We'll see the letter, where the bet goes, and I'll probably have a nice thing with Zexion and Demyx. I really would make this longer except in order to do everything I want to do, it's going to end up being around 20,000 words. And that's a LOT of fucking words for ONE chapter.

So hooray! One more chapter to go. I don't know if that's good or bad, but this chapter was really super-duper easy to write. I imagine the next one will be too.

As always, thank you to my fabulous beta, **Aindel S. Druida**. She is a master of the English language, a master of comedy, and a lovely friend. Give her profile a gander, have her edit your stuff, and enjoy the hilarious comments she'll leave on your writing.

I meant to get a one-shot out for 8/13 but I lost my flash drive which had the half-written one-shot on it. I'm sure that'll come out soon, so look for it.

Again, just in case you decided to skip the A/N – **THIS IS NOT THE END**. The next chapter will definitely be the final chapter. It may or may not have a lemon in it between Axel / Roxas. I'm still on the fence about it (not because I mind writing sex, but because this whole thing has been pretty lime-ish at best), but we'll see.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for favoriting, reviewing, alerting, and, most recently, for actually giving a shit for what happens to me in my life. You guys are seriously the sweetest.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Dearlybelovedangel: **I'm really not a fan of the Riku/Roxas or Sora/Axel coupling. I'm also pretty uncomfortable with the Sora/Roxas pairing because they're almost the same person and it seems really narcissistic. The Riku/Sora part is in there because I really like that coupling and making my readers hate Riku wasn't my intention. It just sort of happened that way.

**Reku14: **Ooh, you're probably not going to like this chapter then, haha. The notebook is gone, but I promise it all ties up nicely in the end.

**CrazyPretz: **Noooo. No I did not. Because Harry Potter seems like a lone-wolf kind of guy. And I would've much preferred another book about him being a badass wizard than that crappy epilogue about him marrying that ugly chick. They'll all get their happy endings, I promise.

**IchiakiI: **Aww, thanks. I have two Axel/Roxas stories in the works right now, but they're less like this and more… serious, maybe? They still have humor, but the focus isn't on the relationships and family/friend drama. I'm sure I'll post a new story right away, to be honest.  
My initials are FK and my favorite fruit is kiwi. It's also my e-mail address name. I wanted it to say "freekiwi at yahoo," but it was taken, so I had to slap a 103 on 'freekiwi.' Super gay.

**Minaj: **Thanks. It's a review like this that makes me feel less like an asshole when I'm tragically late on an update. I didn't mean to be late on this one. I had this typed up for almost a month, but my flash drive was lost. I've learned now to keep a back-up on my PC, even though it's really annoying having to copy and paste all the files. Oh well.  
Though this story is finishing, I am putting out another Axel/Roxas one soon, if you're interested in reading it. Who knows? Maybe you'll like it more than this one.

**Revolutionary Venom: **Haha, thanks. I think losing my flash drive is definitely a blockage, unfortunately. On the upside, I've had very little drama otherwise. So, that's been nice.

**Miggery: **Aww, aren't you a sweetheart? I try to convey emotions as powerfully as I possibly can (I know that sounds really gay). I just think it takes away from the story when you aren't really feeling what the character is feeling too. And, thanks. I appreciate you saying how much you like this story. It's a bit rough around the edges and really could use some cleaning up, but I'm really glad to see that some of the novice mistakes with the plot don't take away from the whole thing too badly.

**Maple-Leaf01: **I have made it a policy to **never, ever **start a story I can't finish. I try really, really hard not to wait too long between updates, too, but I don't abandon stories. That's just so… shitty. And it happens far too often. You don't have to worry about an author note like that. I usually post them on my profile and it's usually just to say, "Hey, the story is late because…" or whatever. But the only time I won't finish a story is if I've died. I can pretty much guarantee that.  
On the upside of this story ending, I am going to be posting another Axel/Roxas story soon. Woo woo!

**Verovex: **Thanks, sweetheart. I'm glad I could inspire you to review. ;) Though, I know what you mean. The only chapter story I follow is sporadically updated and as a result, I forget to review. I do follow the story and I do really like it, I just… don't want to leave a review that says the same exact thing the last one did, you know? Also, I see you EVERYWHERE on ffnet. You review a lot and some of your reviews are unintentionally hilarious.  
Well, I actually feel like Demyx a lot of the time. It's like with my ex – people say I shouldn't speak with him anymore, but I'm like, "Why?" The fact is this: if I want to get over it, I need to treat him like anyone else. Ignoring him is just a constant reminder of what went wrong. I've stopped following advice so much. Demyx probably should too. Maybe carve his own path or… whatever.  
I toyed with the idea of Riku and Roxas messing around again, but I decided not to go that route because Riku was already seriously disliked by readers for his past transgressions. So I decided it would keep the story together better if I just kept this lingering feeling. That special spot in Roxas' heart for Riku though is no joke, you know? That kind of shit happens in real life and every time I date someone new, I'm terrified I'm not going to be good enough to make my _own_ special spot in their heart.  
Hah, what can I say? I like my Zexion with a personality. He's smart and well-read, but he isn't a robot. And Cloud dolls aren't a bad idea because it means he can do the dirty work of telling someone how it actually is. Being blunt is hard, but Jesus Christ – someone needs to do it.  
It's all right now. Writing is a good outlet. Though I think my ex stalks my fanfiction profile a little bit, so I'm really hesitant to post things that mirror aspects of our relationship. I'm afraid I'll get shit for it.

**Alstarryn: **Yea, me too. I feel like life after high school shouldn't contain this much drama, but I guess it does. So I'm learning to put a lid on things before they get too out of control.  
Yea, Axel's a pretty good fable writer. And yea, he was pretty distressed over the fables. I'm waiting for angry reviews that are like, "WHY WERE THEY DESTROYED?" and just kind of hoping for the best.  
Clearing the air needed to happen. And I hope everyone was satisfied with how it was all done. And yea, I did have to chop this chapter in two. It was going to be much too long otherwise and I don't want to rush the end. That's a good way to ruin a story.

**Sana-chan9: **It's okay. Once this story is done, another Axel/Roxas story will come about. I love the pairing and I can't stay away from it too long. And I'm not going to lie – I do like _Degrassi_. I don't know why because it's not a believable show AT ALL and it repeats the same exact scenarios over and over again, but I just can't get enough of it.  
Just so you know – when you do get into a relationship, rely on advice. If your friends tell you the guy is a shithead or there are blatant warning signs, don't overlook them. Chances are the guy is a total prick and you're too starry-eyed to notice it. I speak from experience… and television.  
Haha, a lot of shows do! But that's because they have to be solved in twenty-two minutes and they always have to have a pretty happy ending tied to the end (unless it's a drama). And you're right – a LOT of misunderstandings arise because no one will be honest. Honesty and being direct are difficult and so no one wants to do either. But when the air is cleared, everyone is a lot more relaxed.

**FemShep Loves Tali: **Sorry about giving you cardiac problems (and making your eyes bleed). On the upside, it's a good way to pass the time while you're ill. And it's all good. I'll be okay without therapy, but here's a chapter anyway. ;D  
For the record, not a sadist – not intentionally, anyway.

**ShinigamiWanabe: **Well shit. I feel like I owe you money for the bleeding eyes and for the therapy you'll need in order to get over this. There is a LOT of emotional baggage in this story though and I won't lie – sometimes this shit is hard to write because of it.

**Sunriseonmymind: **Aww, that's sweet. I never read the same stories my sister was reading because it was just… awkward. And I'm actually quite cynical in real life. Hardened by all the stupid bullshit that gets thrown my way, you know? But I'm cynical against myself, I guess. I don't really let it branch out to other people (like maybe true love exists for Susie, but maybe it doesn't exist for me, you know what I mean?).  
Haaaah. I know the wait was a bad one. It was a LONG fucking time before I updated. This wait wasn't as long, but I really need to be more on top of things. Also, it wasn't so much the boyfriend that took up my time as it was the relationship. It required a lot of effort and so my stories suffered (as did my school work. I need my priorities in order).  
I've never been cheated on (at least I don't think) and if I have, it's one of those things I never want to know about. I _was_ dumped after three years so my ex could go date someone else and THAT really sucked. I can never tell what's worse – being cheated on or the person leaving you for someone else for good. Roxas and Riku never _did_ act on their lingering chemistry, but I think part of what's hard for Roxas is that Riku left him for Sora and that stings. On the other side of that, RIku cheated on Sora with Roxas and that bites, too. I guess it depends on how you look at things. A terrible lapse in judgment vs. your significant meeting someone they'd rather be with than you.  
They are all flawed, aren't they? And for some of them, the bad outweighs the good completely. But that's life, you know? And you can't stay angry forever and your personality issues just don't go away overnight. As for Nam, yea, I hate it when she's portrayed as weak. Shy is fine, but I just don't see weak.  
Thanks – I've been speaking it since seven or eight, I think. It's really not too hard to learn when you're trapped in a country where English is king. :)

**t.y.u.i.t.y.u.i.: **Still a fan? I can dig it.

**The Moon's Berserk: **I think it might surprise you because I'm always changing how I want the story to work out. _GC _is pretty set in stone for the most part, but _AF _wasn't. So I do a little bit of cleaning up of the plot line as I go along (hence why it's riddled with holes and flaws). I'm glad you're a fan of _GC _and I promise a new A/R story will be out soon enough.

**Vithian: **Is it? I won't lie, I don't really play many video games aside from Zelda, Mario, and Kingdom Hearts. It's not that I don't want to, I just lack systems that work because I don't live at home. And you're right about the folks on ffnet. Never seen such support from a group of people I barely know. And it's nice to be wished well and all, you know? It's good to know no one is pissed about the lack of update and that people are actually sympathetic.  
This chapter was 12500 words. That sort of makes up for the last chapter. Ish.

**AlcesRedivivus: **I thought about changing my name, but only because my ex creeps on my ff profile which makes it hard to write anything that even remotely reflects our relationship. I'm glad the Cloud/Demyx scene made you laugh. In my head the two of them were getting along okay, but Demyx would annoy Cloud so badly I just don't really see them being friends. Or even really being nice to each other. And you're totally right. It's been fucking HOT. I'm on the East Coast too and this summer has been one of sweat. It's mid-September and it's still hot as fuck around here. I live right near the coast (like fifteen minutes from the beach) and it's so effing humid.  
Oh! I'm posting another Axel/Roxas story once this one finishes. I hope everyone likes it as much as they've liked this one.

**Mochiusagi: **You're totally right. Everyone loves to blame everyone else because no one likes to admit that maybe they were just a little bit wrong. Blaming and accusing is all well and good for a while, but eventually it has to stop. And a huge group therapy session where they can hug it out in the end isn't such a bad idea.

**Superkawaiifreak: **Noooo apologies. I don't expect anyone to consistently review, review, review because I know it's hard to change up what was said last time.  
I think one of the best things about fanficiton and the ability to review and give your opinion is just that: you can give your opinion. I like Naminé as the voice of reason because she seems innocent enough to be that. I can also see how that's cliché because I think she gets painted as "that innocent young thing" a lot. Also, I like that you feel Axel shouldn't apologize for his behavior. Honestly, I'm the kind of person who stays mad for like an hour and then either forgets or just lets it go because I hate fighting. Sometimes I'll just apologize for the sake of apologizing because I'm hoping the whole situation will dissolve if I just say "I'm sorry" enough.  
However, I think in this situation, Axel should apologize for being a coward. He didn't really do anything wrong except love Roxas. However, he's handling it in a very bad way. And, yea, he is getting to be whiny about it. He's being a bit like Roxas in that he's dragging this out instead of just getting over it or talking with Roxas about it. It's dramatic and it doesn't have to be, but no one will sit down and just be honest for a few minutes. That's the problem in this story and the problem with people today.  
You know what? I ALWAYS imagine Riku as a self-entitled asshole who believes he rightfully _deserves _something from the world. I don't know why, but I always imagine him that way. Which is why in my earlier one-shots, he's cynical and off-putting because something is being taken from him and he doesn't believe he deserves it (usually).  
Ergh – good point. I think you don't ever see what leads to the product is because I KNOW what's leading him to do it so I don't write it down. Is that weird to say? And a lot of what Axel writes, I'm drawing from my own experiences (mostly) so I'm being blind and acting like everyone knows everything. There are quite a few things I would change about this story if I could. Unfortunately, that's the way this works: you post the story, post the subsequent chapters, and then try to ignore the errors or things that could've been different.  
You're totally right. This story does need about 20k worth of words to wrap it all up. As for that epilogue… That was just _awful_. Rowling is good at writing an awesome fantasy story, but what he fuck was that?

**Sunny side of cookies: **Tidus actually annoys me too. I liked FFX, but damn – he did a shitload of whining in it. But you know what Riku and Tidus have in common? They both have daddy issues!  
The next chapter is the last! This chapter was part one. Originally, this was going to be the finale, but it got too long and I had to split it up. And no worries about reviewing. Review once and you're good in my book.

**Krow Y: **I hate summer classes. And OH MY GOD, THAT HAPPENED TO ME! I used to only write one-shots periodically because I used to play _KH_, want to see some Axel/Roxas or Sora/Riku or whatever action, travel to ffnet, and be upset about what was there so then I'd write a one-shot. But there are months and years between my one-shots because I kept going back and forth between hating ffnet and liking it. I joined livejournal, but I sucked at following the rules for communities and they are sticklers for rules over there. Here, not so much. This is like the ghetto of the internet and I love it.  
I'm glad you like this so much. I'm putting out another story once this finish. It'll be Axel/Roxas because, well… I really can't live without them.

**PumpkinLenses: **That is sooooo true. Zexion is totally blinded by love and would stomp some serious ass for Demyx. And thanks. I'm glad I've made a name for myself somewhat. And I'm glad I could entertain a few of you readers with my stories.

**EpicSonic: **Thanks. The scene between Cloud/Demyx was a lot of fun to write. I just… don't see them ever being friends. Or nice to each other. And I do like how blunt and mean Cloud was (even if it upset Demyx).

**Bbb136: **Hahah, that's what everyone says about the summary and the story. But you're totally right. Ffnet gives you two freaking lines to entice people and it's really not enough. It takes me literally hours to think up a good two-line summary that I think will catch people. But it never shows the complexity of the story at all. That's why I always put longer summaries up top. Because then you can actually decided if it's worth your time or not.  
Yea, it's time Roxas grow up. And I think I like writing Cloud and Demyx together. Stoic Coud vs. spastic Demyx? I can dig it.

**AmitraDay: **Hah, thanks! AkumaStrife, an author on ffnet, writes Cloud/Leon VERY well. She's one of the very, very, very few authors that writes them how they SHOULD be written. And the bed is kind of cool! It took us like… a month to build though. And I'll probably never do something like that ever again.

**My friend: **Oh… Well… Are you destroyed? It had to happen for plot purposes, but this isn't the end! And a LOT has to be said in the last chapter so I'm sure it'll be dialogue-galore.

**QuinntheEskimo: **I tried to make them as real as possible. The happy-go-lucky nonsense just doesn't happen because we ALL have sadness in our lives and darkness in our hearts. And, you're right – the Axel/Demyx coupling is awkward, BUT it fits for how real I want the story to be. People don't normally sit around waiting for other people. Axel is dating (banging) someone else. These things happen, you know? And they are usually quite awkward.  
I'm glad this could make you range through all those emotions. It means I was able to convey what I wanted to convey. And I think _Kyle the Klepto_ was one of my favorite fables too. So cute.  
Hooooraaay advertisement! And hooray for non-bleedy eyes. Though… This chapter may have done you in. Almost 13000 words!

**BooIsBaffled: **Aww, thanks. I am an asshole, hah, but that's all right. Internet-me isn't as much as a dick as real-life-me. And you're right. Axel/Demyx is odd, but now that horror is over and we're back to the Axel/Roxas goodness. No bed stealing! I won't have anywhere to sleep. D;

**ILIKETHEWORDPIE: **Dude! I hate it when you have relationship problems with someone you're NOT dating. It's such bullshit! It's mainly why I stay away from casual sex. And thanks! I try to implement experiences from my own life in my stories or I try and impart some kind of cynical wisdom on others. I don't know. I sit around and do nothing a lot and I hear people talk and I just… have these realizations about life that are generally depressing. But they're really good story fodder so, you know… hooray for that! Also, I love cookies.

**Writeoutloud90: **Dang, this story isn't funny? I know I need to up the maturity rating (or maybe I already did, I don't remember), but I thought this story was sort of funny… But, well, okay, yea, there IS a shitload of heartache. And I guess the majority of the story is a bit of a downer. Maybe that is misleading…  
Well, I'm glad you like it! And right – no filler chapters here! Too lazy and too focused to do any of that.

**Aznwhitekid: **I'm glad you have the story a chance. I will say the first bit of this story is tragically boring. If I was a reader, I'd skip that bullshit at the top and scroll right to Axel talking to Roxas/Sora about moving in.

**Iced Perfection: **That's good. Sitting in front of your PC (like I do) is really bad for your eyes. And hooray! Cross-advertising in my stories works! And thanks. I know updates don't have to come quickly, but I used to read a lot of fanfiction and I hated it when I got to the end of a story and an author wouldn't update. And then an author's note would come out and it would be all, "Sorry, this is discontinued" which are the most god-awful words when it comes to fanfiction. Also, and this makes_ me_ sound delightfully selfish, I'm afraid to put long periods of time between updates because I'm afraid I'll lose readers. Is that bad? I don't know.  
But thanks. I appreciate that. And I think the drama is allowed to be this over-the-top because it's shit that actually happens in real life. Maybe not all at once like this, but hey – I have a creative license.

**Fredrikness: **Yea, I could see that. I was almost dead. And yea! I'm all right, thanks. Break-ups are break-ups are break-ups, you know? They happen, you cry, you get up and get over. Sometimes you stumble and then have to cry some more, but eventually you work up the courage to stand on your own two legs again. Or whatever.  
And aaaah! Another long wait, I'm sorry! This time it wasn't drama – my flash drive went missing when I moved houses. Derp.

**Misunderstoodmysteriousone: **Yep, they most definitely do. Most of my stories are drawn from personal experience or shit that other people have told me about. I try and get out more, but the more out I get, the more cynical I become.

**I ok2: **Oh God, I'm corrupting children. Or… since you're already on ffnet, you were probably corrupted to begin with. Thank God your eyes aren't bleeding. I don't want your parents to call my parents (I'm serious).

**Hahanowyougetit: **Dude, I will TOTALLY take that.


	14. They Wave Goodbye to the Past

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Well… It's all smooth sailing from here, folks.

Edit: Holy shit. Where does the time go? I have about 1500 words written for this and it's already been 11 days since I last updated. I think this is how I get behind. I always think I've updated way sooner than I really have.

Edit 2: There is a LOT going on in this chapter because I didn't want to leave anything out. Because of quite a few readers requesting Axel's brother/parents, I did put them in a small scene in this chapter. Also, time is sped up in this chapter for two reasons: 1) For plot purposes, of course, and 2) Because I am of the mindset that when things are good and everyone is happy, time seems to go 400 times faster.

**ALSO THIS IS MUCHO IMPORTANTE SO PLEASE LOOK RIGHT HERE PLEASE:  
There's a POLL on my profile. It asks the question, "Which A/R story would you like to see next?" so please, please, please put in your vote. Only four of you, as of Oct. 1, 2011, 3:43 PM, have voted. And right now **_**Money Shot **_**is winning.**

**Summary:** Axel thinks Aesop taught decent lessons in his fables, but the redhead is willing to bet he could do better. What good are fables that teach things like "attempt not impossibilities" or "little friends may prove great friends" anyway? Times are different from when Aesop lived and Axel thinks it's time for a _new_ set of fables. All of which will be authored by himself, of course, because he's an expert on love, life, and what _truly _matters.  
That, and Roxas Badcock promised to marry him if he gets his book published.

* * *

_Axel's Fables_  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

XIV – They Wave Goodbye to the Past

**They were bidding **the past adieu. In mid-July, when it came to renewing their lease, there had been quite a few arguments as to whether or not Axel and Riku should continue to live in the duplex. It was no longer a matter of bad blood or awkward, sexual tension, but a matter of what would be good for their respective relationships with each other.

And maybe Axel had been pressing that Riku and Sora should move out. Because it would be nice to have a little privacy and, not that he'd ever admit it, he was still a little jealous of Riku's previous relationship with Roxas. They didn't talk much about it anymore, but Axel knew it wouldn't have mattered if they talked or not. He would _always_ be jealous that Riku got to Roxas first.

In the end they had settled to just renew the lease as normal. Sora had pointed out that they had _just_ gotten over all the drama and introducing new roommates into the duplex might introduce new problems.

And everyone really needed a break from all the heartache.

Summer had faded so quickly Axel barely noticed it had passed by. He and Roxas had spent their days lazing about the duplex, eating mass quantities of sea salt ice cream, and talking about everything and nothing all at once. There was hesitation in what they talked about because it was clear they were both afraid of digging up dirt they didn't want to know.

Axel had decided some secrets were best left buried.

"New year resolutions?" Roxas asked as he flopped down on Axel's bed and put his arms behind his head.

"For the school year?" the redhead questioned. He closed the lid of his laptop and turned in his desk chair to face the blond. "I don't know. Actually go to class, maybe?"

The blond sat up slightly and raised his brows. "Not just school. For anything."

Axel thought this over for a moment. He leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the top of his desk. "I don't know," he replied. "What are you resolutions?"

"Probably try and be less of a dick."

The redhead snorted and rolled his eyes, earning a slap on the leg from his boyfriend.

"I think hitting counts as a dick move," Axel pointed out.

"Be less of a dick to everyone but you."

The taller of the two laughed and then stood up from his chair. He stretched his arms above his head and then flopped on his bed, lying partially on top of Roxas who complained about the heaviness of Axel's body briefly before just giving up and relaxing underneath him.

Silence engulfed the room and the redhead reached out and began to run his fingers through Roxas' blond hair. His pretty blue eyes fell closed and he let out the smallest of content sighs. Being like this with his boyfriend was quite lovely and why Roxas had put it off so long, he really couldn't tell you now. He was different now.

They were all different now.

"Hey."

"Hm?" Axel grunted in response.

"I know you're still…. Hung up about Riku being my first and –"

He suddenly sat up slightly and blurted, "I'm not hung up!"

Roxas gave him a look and Axel made a face and mumbled, "Okay so maybe I'm hung up."

"And I just wanted you to know," he continued as if the other hadn't interrupted him. "That you _are_ my first boyfriend."

He rolled this over in his mind. This was very true. Aside from his rendezvous with Riku, Roxas had never had a formal boyfriend. Axel supposed he had Riku to thank for that. What had conspired between them had kept Roxas at bay from all other relationships.

"Holy shit." Axel smiled. "That's the silver lining!"

The blond stared. "What?"

"The silver lining!" He rolled off the blond and hopped off the bed. "Because of what happened between you and Riku, you never were with anyone else!"

Roxas sat up and his eyebrows came together. "So?"

Axel grabbed his boyfriend's shoulders and stared deeply into his blue eyes. "So that means that if you and Riku had never been anything, maybe you would've been someone else's boyfriend! And then I never would have had a chance with you!"

Roxas didn't point out Axel never actually _had_ a chance with the blond to begin with, but he figured that would be a dick-ish thing to do. And because he was trying to be _less_ of a dick, he just enjoyed the other's happiness at his sudden realization.

"See? I knew every situation had a silver lining somewhere. But it's like _I Spy_, you know? Sometimes it's easy to spot the silver lining and other times you really have to concentrate to find it."

Roxas smiled half-heartedly and began to ponder what the silver lining in his mother's death was.

••••••••••••••

**He began to** find the silver lining in every negative situation that had occurred in the past year. For whatever reason, it made Axel happier to know that everything happened for a _good _reason. He didn't like to believe that things happened _just because_ or that his life was just a long, drawn-out story that only had random happenstances to push the plot forward. He liked to think that it was all leading up to something _good_.

When he confided this to Roxas, the blond didn't agree or disagree and he was, again, left to ponder what his mother's death had led – or was leading – up to. If she was still alive, would he still be manipulated by her? If she was still breathing, would he still fall prey to her advice or would he have been smart enough to learn to be burned only once? And it had occurred to Roxas that maybe her death wasn't leading up to anything for him, but it had led up to something for Sora.

He had been so muddled by her death and so unable to get over it that he had never had time to think about fate's intangible reasoning. And Axel, always mistakenly philosophical, was carefully (and accidentally) leading Roxas to a tarn of thoughtful reasoning and casually obliging him to drink.

It was the silver lining that eventually caused Axel to go to Demyx and Zexion's house. He had barely spoken to Demyx since his fables had been destroyed because he was unsure of how to handle the situation. He didn't say it, but Axel _missed_ his fables. He didn't miss the stories or the morals or the notebook itself. He missed what it had symbolized. He missed what it had meant for him and Roxas. And he was heartbroken that it had all been washed away.

He knocked twice on their door and smiled at the look of pleasant surprise that crossed Demyx's features when he answered.

"Hey!" the blond said cheerily. He hugged Axel briefly and then invited him inside. It wasn't in Demyx's nature to hold grudges. He also had an incredibly exaggerated sense of time and things that had happened only three months ago seemed like decades to him. It was all water under the bridge and being upset seemed like such a waste of time.

"How's your summer been?" Demyx asked. "Zexion! Axel's here!"

The audible groan that left the schemer's lips as he walked down the steps caused Axel to roll his eyes and shake his head. They would _never_ be friends. At best, they'd be some guys that knew each other. At worst, they'd be hostile enemies.

"I got you a card," Axel offered. He handed it to Zexion who hesitantly took it and flipped it over, examining both sides of the envelope.

"This isn't filled with anthrax, is it?"

The redhead shrugged. "Guess you won't know until you open it."

Zexion passed him a cold look and didn't bother looking at Demyx who was just _grinning_ from ear to ear. He was always happy about something, be it a butterfly on the window sill, a sunny day, or the chance to see and greet people he once knew regardless of what went down between them.

The short boy hesitantly opened the envelope and pulled the card out. He made a face, opened it up, and then read aloud, "'Roses are red, violets are blue, sorry that I, tried to kill you.' How… thoughtful."

"Aww," Demyx cooed. "Isn't that sweet?"

"…Yea," Zexion's eyes narrowed and he placed the card back in the envelope. He would never admit it, but he _liked_ the card. Only because it was reminiscent of Demyx, of course.

"So… you guys are dating now, right?" Axel asked.

Demyx nodded eagerly. "Couple months now."

"_Three months, nine days, seven hours," _Zexion thought to himself. He was hopelessly in love with the tall blond.

"What about you and Roxas?" the musician inquired.

"Yea. We patched things together, you know?" Axel smiled somewhat sheepishly and wouldn't admit that he, like Zexion, could count down to the very hour the time he and Roxas had been together so far.

"Even without the fables?"

The question left an awkward sort of silence in the foyer. Zexion looked pointedly at the ground and Axel just sort of looked at everything except for the two people in front of him. It was like mentioning a love one that had passed. It was like mentioning a break-up that had only just happened. It was like pulling the scab off a wound that was in desperate need of sutures.

"Yea," Axel mumbled. "Even without the fables."

The awkward silence still stayed and Demyx didn't seem to notice it. Zexion flipped the card over in his hands and then he mumbled an uncomfortable, "Thanks for the card."

The redhead looked at the schemer, an eyebrow raised. "Sorry?" he teased.

Zexion's eyes narrowed. "I said thanks. You know… for the card or… whatever." He shrugged and felt his heart practically melt when Demyx grinned and pressed a sloppy, wet kiss to his cheek. Slowly, the introverted bookworm was becoming less of a bastard. Not by choice, of course. It was just hard to be so rude and off-putting when Demyx was at his side practically begging him not to be.

"And… I'm sorry about… your fables," he grumbled. "You know it was an accident."

Axel smiled slightly. "Yea, I know… And besides, it's really Demyx's fault."

The blond looked mildly surprised and then offended. "I didn't run on to the bridge with them!"

"Well, you did kind of make them fall into the lake…" Zexion pointed out.

"I'm kind of with Zex on this one," the redhead teased. They passed each other a little smile and Demyx, clueless up until this point, blurted something like, "Oh, I see what you're doing" and was content to take the fabricated blame.

••••••••••••••

"**I can't believe **summer vacation is almost over," Riku said as he and Axel watched the sunset from the roof of the duplex.

"At least it's been peaceful," the redhead offered. His visit to Demyx and Zexion's house had put him at peace. The schemer's apology had caught him off guard, but it had been nice to hear and Axel was surprised at how cathartic the whole visit had been. Originally he had just gone over to clear his own slate, but apparently Zexion had wanted to do the same.

And it had been good.

"Yea, I guess…" Riku muttered. "Kind of miss the drama though, you know?"

Axel thought this over for a moment and then he broke into a large smile. "Yea, I know what you mean, Cheeseburger. It kept things interesting."

"Yea…"

A gentle breeze blew and Axel put his arms behind his head and laid back on the rooftop, a small sigh escaping his lips as his hair blew into his face. "You could tell Sora we fucked. That's bound to start something."

Riku snorted and rolled his eyes. "No thanks. I don't want any more drama between me and Sora. We've had enough of that for a lifetime."

"You guys had sex?" Sora, who had climbed the ladder up the roof, gave both of them a look. "And what was _that_ like? And before I get upset, was this _after_ we had broken up?"

Axel smirked. "Well…"

Riku elbowed him hard in the side. "_Yes_, it was _after_ we broke up." He glared at his best friend and then scooted over slightly so Sora could sit between him and Axel. The brunet obliged him and sank into his embrace when Riku slung an arm over his shoulders and yanked him impossibly close. "You don't care?" he asked curiously.

Sora shrugged. "I can be mad if you want."

Riku made a face. "I think I'll be okay."

Silence fell between the trio and then Axel sat up and looked at Riku. "He asked how it was. Aren't you going to tell him?"

"Spare me," Sora said quickly. "I don't want to know."

Axel snickered and lied back down. Another breeze blew over them and the redhead couldn't remember ever feeling this content in his life. He let his vibrant, green eyes close and he soaked up the remaining sunlight of the summer day. He wasn't looking forward to classes. He wasn't looking forward to the cold weather. He wasn't looking forward to another year of the same old thing. But he was excited for the prospects of his future with Roxas.

"You know what I just realized?" the redhead mumbled from his seemingly half-conscious state.

Both Sora and Riku glanced over at him and Riku grunted, "Hm?"

"Riku has slept with everyone in this house."

The brunet licked his tongue over his teeth and made a face. "Thanks, Axel, for putting it like that. You always know just what to say."

The tall man reached out and sloppily patted Sora's head and face. "I been told I got a way with words," he replied smoothly.

Riku, however, was giving the other a dirty look and trying to remember why, exactly, they were even friends to begin with. He squeezed Sora close to him and whispered something that Axel didn't hear, but he assumed it was something disparaging about him.

And he was all right with that. He operated on a love-hate level with everyone he was close to. It wasn't positive or negative or anything. It just _was_.

"Hey…"

Axel didn't need to sit up or open his eyes to know it was Roxas who had just spoken or to know he had just climbed up the ladder. The blond took a seat next to him, nowhere near as cozy and cuddly as Sora and Riku, and was content to just reach for Axel's hand and lace their fingers together. It was a seemingly simple gesture, but it was a gesture that meant everything to the redhead. Roxas could now say he loved Axel just as easily as he could say he hated him. It was the simple gestures, the act of lacing their fingers together, that told Axel Roxas meant it when he said he loved him.

"You know Kairi and Naminé will be back with Dad tomorrow," the blond mentioned off-handedly.

Sora nodded. "And that means we've only got a few days left before the new semester."

There was a collective sigh amongst them and as they breathed out the old air and breathed in the new, Roxas couldn't help but notice the symbolism. They were waving goodbye to the past. They were putting things behind them and they were moving on.

And Roxas couldn't remember the last time he had felt this content.

Silence engulfed them as the sun set in the distance. It was slowly getting darker and the sky faded from orange and red and pink to multiple hues of blue. Sora and Riku climbed down from the rooftop once the sun sunk beneath the horizon line and when they ventured inside, they turned on the dim lights on the balcony so Roxas and Axel would be able to see when they decided to come down.

Once he heard the door to the balcony close, Axel sat up and began pressing little kisses to the blonde's neck, earning a broad smile and a playful push from his boyfriend.

"Just because Riku and Sora walked away doesn't mean we aren't still in public."

Axel rolled his jade eyes and grabbed Roxas, yanking the other into his lap a bit awkwardly and pressing their lips together. There were a few seconds of protest, but then they faded and Axel felt goose bumps line his skin as Roxas tangled his fingers in the other's long, red locks of hair. He felt his core melt when their tongues touched. Every kiss and every touch and every gesture would always leave him feeling like he had just been briefly electrocuted.

He wasn't sure if electrocuted was the right word, but it was the only word that really fit.

"Can I ask you a question?" Roxas asked when they broke their kiss.

Axel thought this over for a moment and then nodded. "I'll use protection and lube." He leaned down to kiss the blond again, but Roxas protested, pushing the other away and shaking his head. His smile was denying his annoyance, but he was beginning to discover it was difficult _not_ to smile around Axel.

"What's your last name?"

The sudden pink in Axel's cheeks surprised Roxas and the blonde's small smile grew into a mischievous grin. "I think that's a conversation for another time."

The shorter boy raised his brows. "Is it worse than Badcock?"

The redhead snickered and shook his head. "Zombie, _nothing_ is worse than Badcock."

And Roxas didn't protest when Axel leaned down to continue their kissing.

••••••••••••••

**No one was **happy about the start of school except for Kairi and Naminé who always seemed rejuvenated even though they spent every single summer traveling with their father. School hadn't lifted anyone's spirits and by the time October rolled around, Roxas and Axel felt buried under their mass amounts of work. Axel and Riku were seniors and would be graduating at the end of May. Sora and Roxas, however, were juniors and neither had really cemented any plans for the future.

"Axel?" Riku frowned and shook the other awake. "Axel, dude, wake up."

The redhead jerked awake, wiped the drool from his mouth, and blinked a few times. "Cheeseburger?"

"You were sleeping at your desk, man. Maybe you and Roxas should stop these, uh… late night "study" sessions." He smiled at his own witty remark and threw himself down on his best friend's bed.

Axel rolled his eyes, peeled the piece of notebook paper off his cheek, and shook his head. "We've never done it."

Riku laughed, but then stopped abruptly when he saw the look on the other's face. "What?"

The redhead shrugged his shoulders and began to sort through some papers on his desk. The clock on the wall said it was almost four in the afternoon which meant he had been sleeping for two hours. A little sigh left his lips and annoyance pricked at his nerves when he saw Riku was still staring at him.

"What?" he asked uncomfortably.

"I just can't believe you and Roxas…"

Axel grumbled something like, "We're waiting."

"If you're waiting for an invitation, you aren't going to get one," Riku assured.

His jade eyes narrowed, clearly unappreciative of the remark about Riku and Roxas' past indiscretion. "_No_. I mean…" He sighed. "Roxas wants to, but I don't. I'm waiting."

He continued to stare.

"What?" Axel pretended to shuffle some papers, most of which were blank. "I just… I just don't want to rush things, you know? We… We been together less than six months."

"Sorry," Riku said. "I'm just surprised. You usually don't even date people. You just sleep with them. And now you're… _waiting_."

Axel shrugged. "He's important to me. And the last time he had sex with someone, it was with this _huge_ asshole who totally took him for a ride both literally _and_ metaphorically speak –"

"Okay, okay," Riku growled. He stood up from the bed and ran his hand through his hair. "I get your point. Sorry I slept with him and fucked him up."

"Noted," Axel said somewhat pointedly. This was an incredibly touchy subject and he hated that it sometimes was brought up, either by mistake or on purpose. "I'm planning something, anyway."

"A romantic evening?" Riku asked sardonically.

"No, Cheeseburger. It's better than that. And don't be gay. A romantic evening? We're not women."

"How can you be sure Roxas isn't? It isn't like you've been down there to chec –" He ducked the notebook that came flying at him and excused himself from the room with a broad smirk. Riku still liked to rile Axel sometimes.

••••••••••••••

**By the time **Thanksgiving break rolled around, everyone was more than grateful for the time off. Because the tension in the duplex had died down and because everyone was, more or less, on friendly terms, the group of four had decided to host their own Thanksgiving celebration in the duplex. Kairi and Naminé, though invited, had opted to spend time with their father and their extended family.

"Their loss," Roxas pointed out as he watched Riku prepare most of the food for their celebration. He was the only one that could really cook. Axel could do a bit of elementary cooking (making cereal, boiling water, etc), but Riku was a bit more advanced. Sora didn't mind helping him prepare which left Axel and Roxas to setting the table and decorating.

They felt this was a terrible waste of time, though, and instead sat back, sipping champagne and watching as their feast was prepared. Sora and Riku were a little less tolerant of their antics because they had been up since five, prepping the turkey and trying to make the day memorable.

"We should've just invited Dad here for Thanksgiving," Sora grumbled as he mashed up some potatoes in a pot.

"No way," Roxas growled. He, unlike his siblings, was having a harder time giving their father forgiveness. It wasn't that he was mad, exactly, he just felt… betrayed. Their father had had the chance to protect not only him, but Sora as well, and he hadn't. Instead he just stood by while Mrs. Badcock wreaked havoc upon their lives.

Maybe one day they'd have an intervention about it. Roxas wouldn't put it past his siblings.

Axel put a hand on the blonde's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He opened his mouth to say something to the other, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. The redhead set his glass down on the kitchen table and made his way into the foyer, opening up the front door and trying to contain his shock and horror when he saw his parents and brother standing at the door.

"Hi, Sweetie!" His adoptive mother threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. She was a tall woman, only shorter than her son by an inch or two. His father, however, was only around five foot seven. He was of average height, but the size of his wife and Axel dwarfed him greatly. Both of them had the strangest color of hair (Axel felt weird saying it was pink, but he supposed it was no weirder than his exceptionally red hair).

"We thought we'd surprise you!" she explained once she released him from her death-grip of a hug. "We didn't see you at all last year!"

Axel made a face. "Yea, that was… tragic…"

His father embraced him and his family let themselves inside. Axel and his brother, always at ends with each other, passed a curt nod.

"Marluxia," he grumbled.

"Axel," he grumbled back.

"Axel?" Roxas called from the kitchen. "Who's he –" He had walked out in to the foyer and he immediately eyed Axel's mother up and down. She was tall with a head of pink hair. How could he not give her a double take?

"Who's this?" she asked excitedly, grinning at Axel.

"Um…" He reached up and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "My boyfriend, Roxas. And Roxas…" He beckoned his boyfriend over and after a moment of hesitation, the blond obeyed. "This is my mom, my dad, and my brother, Marluxia."

The way he said the name just _dripped_ with disdain. Roxas recalled that, at some point, Axel had told him his brother hated his guts.

"Hi," he responded nervously.

"Isn't he just darling?" Axel's mother swooned. Roxas shook hands with Axel's father and when it came time to shake Marluxia's hand, he wasn't sure if the other boy would. But the pink haired man took Roxas' hand and offered it a solid shake.

"I hate to be formal, so instead of calling me Mrs. Fagg, you may –"

Roxas' eyes suddenly became wide and he interrupted her. "Fagg?" he asked, totally floored. "_Fagg_ is your last name?" He grinned wildly at Axel who looked absolutely humiliated by the denunciation of his last name. He placed a hand over his face and tried to mumble something witty, but Roxas wouldn't have it.

"Fagg," he repeated. "Your last name is Fagg. That's _way worse_ than Badcock!"

Axel's mother and father exchanged a look. Marluxia rolled his eyes and meandered into the kitchen, clearly disinterested in the conversation regarding their last name. He really had the odds against him. He was straight, yet his hair was pink, he was relatively short for a man, and his last name was Fagg. Finding a girlfriend had never been so difficult.

"Sorry," Roxas stated apologetically when he caught the look on Axel's parents' faces. "I just… Never mind. What may I call you?"

Axel would have to brainwash Roxas later. He'd never hear the end of this.

••••••••••••••

**After all the **formalities had taken place and they sat down to eat, Roxas could easily say he liked Axel's family. They were loud, they were witty, and they had no trouble fitting in at the duplex at all. Marluxia was quiet, much different from his parents, but Roxas got the feeling he had been forced to this Thanksgiving celebration. He looked to be younger than Axel, maybe only twenty or so and he didn't seem to appreciate being forced to attend family functions with his parents considering he was technically an adult.

"Sorry to just drop in on all of you," Axel's mother said as she spooned mashed potatoes on her plate. "To be honest, I figured Axel wouldn't be doing anything today and I thought we'd maybe go out to dinner."

Roxas snorted. "The only reason Axel is doing something is because of us."

Riku raised his brows. "_Us_? By that you must mean Sora and me."

The blond rolled his eyes. "I helped! I opened and drank most of the champagne. You're welcome."

Riku tried to suppress his small smile. Roxas acted more like the _old_ Roxas he used to know and it was endearing. It was nice to see him change back to the person he used to be and it was nice to see him finally happy. Riku figured it was safe to say that even when they had been together, Roxas hadn't been completely happy.

Not like this, anyway.

"I'm glad you could come," Axel said as he passed Sora the stuffing. "I mean, I was horrified when I saw you standing at the door, but this isn't so bad."

Axel's mother gave her son's cheek a pinch. "Axel, darling, you're so charming. Now if only Marluxia could be a bit more like you, hm?"

It suddenly clicked in Roxas' brain. Axel's brother probably hated him because of the constant comparing that went on. He and Sora exchanged a look across the table and they both knew how it felt to be compared. They kept their thoughts to themselves, however, but Roxas couldn't help but pass little looks of sympathy to Marluxia every time Axel's mother carelessly evaluated them.

Well, one day she'd learn. Hopefully before she died. And maybe one day Axel could put Marluxia through some kind of life-changing talk.

But who knew? Fate was one fucked-up mistress.

Once dinner and dessert had been consumed, Axel's parents helped clean up the kitchen before leaving the duplex. Though they had been thoroughly pestered by every member of the duplex to stay for the night, they insisted they had to get home. Marluxia was rather grateful for the exit.

Axel wasn't exactly sad to see them go, but only because he wanted a bit of alone time with Roxas. A warm meal, a full belly, and three more days off from school were a perfect combination in his mind. By the time he had seen his parents off and climbed the steps up to his room, his boyfriend was already lying in his bed, underneath the covers.

"Your family is nice," Roxas mumbled when Axel lied down next to him. The redhead threw his arm over the other's waist and pulled him close.

"They're obnoxious."

The blond smirked. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Axel smiled and nuzzled the other. "If only they weren't my adoptive parents, huh?"

Roxas always forgot the other was adopted.

He nestled into the other's warmth. He doubted there could ever be a moment as perfect as this. They fit so perfectly together. They were two pieces of the same puzzle. They were molded from the same piece of clay. Roxas could safely say that he would never feel this strongly about a person ever again.

This feeling was too real, too demanding, and too difficult to describe for him to ever possibly feel this way about someone other than Axel.

And he had a feeling Axel would very well agree.

••••••••••••••

**November turned quickly **in to December and before they knew it, exams were over and they were off from school for the holidays. Roxas and Axel agreed that the holidays were their favorite time of the year (though Axel was partial to warm weather, he absolutely loved Christmas because he loved consumerism) and they were looking forward to the time they would be spending together. What made this even better was Riku surprised some sort of, what Axel termed, "gay ass trip," on Sora and they would be gone for the duration of break.

Needless to say, Roxas' excitement about their alone time together quickly died when Axel spent all the days leading up to Christmas Eve locked in his room or not at the duplex at all. They were wasting the precious moments they had together. Time that could be spent attempting to sort out their sexual relationship was being sacrificed for something else and Roxas was annoyed by this.

And he only became further annoyed when Axel refused to tell him what he was doing or what in the world was going on.

"I promise it's worth it," he had said to Roxas over coffee one morning. "Just trust me."

"You aren't fucking my brother, are you?" he had asked, jokingly, in response.

Axel smirked despite the uncomfortable feeling that arose in his chest when he thought about Riku and Roxas together. "You always ruin surprises," he had teased.

The blond meandered around the duplex by himself. The place was completely empty, save for himself, and he thought about attempting to make cookies like Riku and Sora had last year. But he couldn't (he didn't) cook or bake and so he was left to rummage through the kitchen cabinets, his stomach protesting at the lack of food because Sora usually did the grocery shopping and Sora wasn't around.

"I'm going to starve in my own house," Roxas grumbled dramatically. He had been in a rather bad mood for the past few days because Axel seemed to enjoy being gone. He had contemplated maybe calling or texting Riku to ask him if he knew what the redhead was doing, but if it was some sort of Christmas surprise, he didn't want to ruin it.

Well, he did. But he was trying to be less of a dick, so he wouldn't.

He managed to find a package of instant cocoa in the cabinet and he turned it over in his hands to see if it had an expiration date. Cocoa didn't go bad though, did it? And if it did, would it _really_ hurt him? He frowned and, because he was hungry, thought about maybe just eating the powder and saving himself the trouble of boiling up some water.

His stomach made an unpleasant noise. Roxas removed his phone from his pocket and found Axel's number, calling it for the third or fourth time to see if maybe his boyfriend would pick-up. Maybe he'd want to grab dinner. It was Christmas Eve and all, but maybe there was some Chinese take-out place still open or something.

His phone went to voicemail and the blond swore as he hung up. Obviously he was going to need to go to the store. Obviously he was going to have to do things for himself. Obviously he was not at all happy about this because he could still be a real baby sometimes.

Roxas sighed and slipped his phone in his pocket. He tossed the package of cocoa on the countertop and walked into the foyer where he put his sneakers on. As he reached for his winter coat, the front door opened (letting in a burst of cold air and snow) and Axel ambled inside, looking much too happy for someone who seemed to be braving the arctic with nothing but a coat, some pants, and a drawstring backpack.

"Oh, gee, how nice of you to show up. Was beginning to think I'd be spending Christmas all alone, you know. Thought maybe I was –"

Axel shut him up with a kiss.

"Come with me."

"What?" Roxas stared. "No, come on. I'm about to starve to death."

The redhead unceremoniously lifted the blonde's shirt. "Uh, nope. You look okay to me, so… Come on."

Roxas gave the other a look, but then he sighed and slipped his jacket on his arms. He grabbed his mittens out of his pockets and began to put them on, only to be suddenly distracted by a blindfold that was placed over his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Roxas protested as he decided whether or not he should struggle. "What's going on?"

"I got you a pony for Christmas. Oh darn, the surprise is ruined, but keep the blindfold on anyway and follow me." Axel opened the front door and walked out into the snow. When Roxas didn't follow, he frowned and looked at the other. "Are you coming?"

"… I'm blindfolded. What do you want me to do? Sense where you are by how your aura feels?"

He really liked it when Roxas was sassy. "Yea, Zombie. What did you think? I was gonna hold your hand and lead you somewhere? That'd be totally gay." He walked up to the front door and grasped the other's hand, placing a kiss on his cheek as they walked out the door and into the snow.

••••••••••••••

**Wherever they were **going, Roxas couldn't even give a good guess. They had gotten in the blonde's truck and Roxas, who always drove _his _car and never let anyone else touch it, grumpily let Axel have his way and let him drive. He certainly couldn't have driven with a blindfold on and every time he reached toward his face, Axel would yell, "No, not yet!" and slap his hands away. And Roxas would say and mumble something disparaging and Axel soaked up every single moment of it.

"Where's this pony?" the blond asked after a while. "Because I feel like we're driving somewhere far away."

Axel shrugged. "Maybe. Tell me if you see a pony anywhere, okay?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Blindfolded, remember?"

"Oh, right, of course. Just feel the aura of the pony then, okay?"

Axel grinned and Roxas suppressed his smile.

••••••••••••••

**Axel was holding **his hand and leading him somewhere. They were walking through the snow, the cold wind pinking their cheeks even though their walk was a short one. When they stepped into the building, Roxas stomach growled hungrily because he smelled food. Specifically, he smelled breakfast food and there was a bit of hesitation before he reached up to remove the blindfold.

"Can I?" he asked as he tugged at it.

"Yea," the redhead responded.

Roxas removed the blindfold and let his eyes adjust to the sudden light. He looked around the diner, at the one waitress, the one line cook, and all the empty booths and then he looked out the window and gave Axel a look.

"The diner? You drove us to the diner?"

Axel nodded proudly. "Don't you remember? This is where we went the first time we hung out. And then we went here again and it ended in showering together."

"You know, if you want to shower with me, all you have to do is ask…" Roxas pointed out.

Axel waved his hand dismissively. "Don't make me give up the chase or I might not like you anymore."

Roxas knew it wasn't true, but the words still caused his heart to skip a beat.

••••••••••••••

**They sat down**, ordered coffee, and then looked over their menus. Given that it was their third time at the diner, Roxas already knew what he wanted and only skimmed the menu to make sure nothing had changed. They sat opposite each other in the booth, what was usual for this particular place, and Roxas raised his brows questioningly at the redhead.

"Well?"

"What?" Axel asked as he looked over his menu, taking no notice to his boyfriend's staring.

"Every time we've come here, you've asked me personal questions. I'm waiting for your first question."

The redhead seemed amused. "You know what I've learned?"

"What's that?"

"Some secrets are better left buried. Personal questions and I are not really friends anymore and I'm pretty damn content being ignorant." Axel set his menu down and though he was smiling, he was completely serious. Some shit he didn't need, nor did he want, to know. He liked the Roxas he had now and all that mattered was the present.

Not the past.

The waitress came by with their coffee and took their food order. Roxas liked the feeling of familiarity and he relaxed in the booth. Something was still going on with Axel. The redhead didn't blindfold him to take him out here for no reason. There would be a part two, Roxas was sure, but he just didn't know what it would pertain to.

"You know… For someone so nosy, you sure are secretive about yourself," the blond pointed out. He began to dump cream and sugar into his coffee, all the while casting glances at his boyfriend.

"I'm not secretive, Roxy, I'm just painfully boring."

He laughed and took a sip from his mug. "That isn't true."

"Really?" Axel inquired. He drank his coffee black. "Tell me what's interesting about me. And… It can't be looks."

"That's easy. You're…" Roxas paused. "Well, I mean…" He frowned. "You… " He trailed off and sheepishly sipped his mug of coffee. "You're not boring," he stated firmly.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?" he asked playfully.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You're not boring. You're nosy, see? That's interesting! And you're persistent!"

"None of that is interesting," Axel said. "Interesting is like… Being a quadruplet."

The blond didn't find that fact about himself very remarkable at all. Then again, he supposed that what was interesting and what wasn't was all about perspective. There were plenty of fascinating facts about Axel, Roxas concluded, but the redhead wouldn't count them. Being talented or being particularly funny or clever were all interesting traits about his boyfriend, but…

"You don't think you're interesting at all?" Roxas asked.

Axel shrugged. "I wrote a book."

He raised his brows. "But it got destroyed."

He shrugged again. "I wrote another."

Roxas stared and was briefly speechless. "No you didn't," he said hesitantly. "… Did you?"

A huge grin threatened to split Axel's features in two. He reached into his drawstring bag and pulled out a published novel. He looked at it, a content sigh leaving him, before passing it over to Roxas who greedily took it and began giving it a thorough examination.

"Holy shit," he mumbled, clearly shocked. "This is a real book."

"I know," Axel said excitedly.

"With… With like a cover and shit!"

"I know!"

They were smiling so widely at each other that their waitress was nervous about bringing them their food. Had she known anything about them, she would've maybe congratulated them or been excited too. But all she saw were two strange boys sitting in a diner grinning like madmen on Christmas Eve. She would need a smoke after this.

"Holy shit…" Roxas swore again as he turned the book over. The title, _Axel's Fables_, was written in a gold colored font and the cover picture, he noted, was something Naminé had drawn. He had seen it in Axel's room once. "This… This is Nami's art, right?"

Axel nodded eagerly. "She drew it for _Axel's Fables_."

A little smile crossed his lips and his fingers ghosted over it. His sister was such a good artist and Roxas was happy, genuinely happy, that his boyfriend had offered her art some exposure by using it for the cover of his book.

"So… Did you… Did you rewrite all the fables?"

The redhead shrugged. "Guess you'll have to read it and see."

Their waitress walked over and dropped their food off at their table without much of a word. Axel, who could always eat regardless if he was hungry or not, began to pour syrup over his pancakes. Roxas, however, was still eyeing the book, hesitant to open it for a myriad of reasons.

"That's why I've been locked in my room, Roxy. I been working on the book." Technically, he had been working on the book since before the fables had been destroyed. However, unlike the fables, Axel had been writing this book on napkins and scrap paper and they had been spared from Zexion's wrath and Demyx's clumsiness.

The blond smiled gently and then he stood up from his side of the booth and walked to Axel's side, taking a seat next to him and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Tentatively, Roxas opened the book and practically melted when he saw that his boyfriend had scrawled, "Merry Christmas. I love you, Roxas, and I only wrote this because of you," in red marker.

"This is my copy?"

"Yea. It's the first copy, so… Don't ever lose it."

They looked at each other, deep, blue eyes meeting vibrant green ones, and they both knew that Roxas was a sentimental bastard and didn't like to let objects go. The anthology of _Aesop's Fables _was a testament to this. Maybe it was a good bit worn, but that book had obviously been through quite a lot before it ever reached Axel's hands.

And, of course, Axel always abused objects and _Aesop's Fables _had been no different.

Roxas turned the page and his eyes ghosted the table of contents:

The Origin of his Fables

Enter Demyx: His Music Speaks

He Takes One Step Forward and Eight Steps Back…

"I'm impressed. Fourteen whole chapters," Roxas teased.

Axel grinned. "And it's not like the _Da Vinci Code _where the chapters are like two and a half pages, so… I know that's impressive too," he teased back.

The blond, still ignoring his food, turned the page and he blushed slightly when he saw the dedication in the book. Before he could begin to read it, Axel leaned down and pressed a sticky, syrupy kiss to his cheek.

"That's the letter," he purred. "The letter I wrote to you before I moved away, the letter that got hidden from you…"

His eyes went a little wide and he immediately began to read the words on the page. He had asked Sora for the letter and then he had asked Kairi. He had even asked Naminé and Riku, but no one knew where it had been placed. Axel had said it was in _Aesop's Fables_, but when the redhead had left, so had the book and Roxas had been too nervous to demand Axel give the letter back to him.

_Dear Roxy,_

_I'm moving away. I should probably tell you this in person, but I'm afraid. At first I thought I was afraid because I thought maybe you'd cry. Then I thought I was afraid because maybe _I _would cry. Then I realized that I'm afraid because I know you'll be angry at me for leaving. To be honest, I already feel guilty about having to go. And it would be easier if you cried, threw yourself on me, and begged me not to leave than it would be to see your face molded in disappointment and to hear you say, "I don't care." But, you know, I know you care and you should know I care about you too. We made a pinkie promise that we'd always be friends. You're pretty much stuck with me for life because no matter what you do or where you go or what happens, our pinkie promise means we're bound to see each other again someday. And of course we'll make the Bing-Bing, probably get married, have a family… Live out a distorted version of the American Dream. But you should stay in touch, Roxy, because then it'll be easier to make you a suitable wife. ;)  
I'll miss you a lot. I'll think about you a lot. I might even stalk you a little so don't be too shocked if you get the feeling you're being watched. I can't wait to see you and I can't wait to have more adventures. I know I should tell you this in person, but… I know there's a distinct possibility I'll cry. See what you do to me? Every day with you and my metaphorical vagina becomes larger and larger and soon it'll be like Stargate. I'll miss you, Roxy, and I hope we can still be friends._

_Love,  
Axel _

Roxas reread the letter a good five or six times before he looked up at the other with wide eyes. The expression on his face was difficult to read. He looked… unhappy, but Axel didn't think it was disappointment. He looked… He looked sad, regretful, maybe, and the taller of the two snaked an arm around the blonde's waist and pulled him a little closer.

"Don't get all sentimental on me. I should've said all that to your face before I left." He paused. "Minus the part about the vagina."

Roxas nuzzled close to the other and breathed his scent deeply. Matches that had just been blown out, the candles on a birthday cake that were no longer lit…

"Axel…"

"Hm?" He took a sip from his coffee mug.

"I'm sorry I ignored you. I'm sorry I –"

"Eh. Water under the bridge, Zombie. Besides, you never got the letter."

Roxas frowned. "It isn't water under the bridge. It… It's –"

"Hey," Axel interrupted. "Let's, uh… Let's promise to take a break from lamenting on the past." He stuck his pinkie out to Roxas and the blond hesitated before giving his boyfriend his own pinkie and making the promise.

"Pinkie promise."

••••••••••••••

**All the way **home, Roxas read the book. He devoured every single word hungrily and when they arrived back at the duplex, he took a seat at the bottom of the stairs and continued to read. While Axel normally would've had qualms about this, he was happy to see the other so absorbed and he was content to let the blond do whatever he wanted.

At some point, probably around midnight or so, Axel casually asked the other if he was going to come upstairs to sleep. Roxas paused in his reading and said something like, "Yea, I'll be up soon," but Axel had fallen asleep before the other ever entered the bedroom. Again, he didn't mind this because he was happy his boyfriend appeared to be enjoying his book.

He was happy. Bet or no bet, Axel had achieved two very important things: He had successfully won Roxas' stone-cold heart and he had successfully published a book.

It had been a pretty decent year.

"Axel… Axel, wake up."

The redhead stirred slightly, but he didn't move.

"Axel," Roxas said as he gave the other a little shake. "Axel."

"Mm… What is it? Did you catch Santa coming down the chimney?" he asked groggily.

"I finished it."

It took him a moment to process the words and once he did, he immediately sat up in bed. Roxas was standing at the side of the bed, the book wrapped tightly in his arms. He looked torn, somehow, and Axel frowned at his appearance.

"You look…"

"It says we get married. The end of your book says we get married."

The redhead smiled gently. "Well, a deal's a deal…" he teased.

Roxas looked much more serious, causing Axel to clear his throat a bit awkwardly.

"Look, Roxy, it's a _mostly_ non-fiction book. Getting married on a bet –"

"Let's do it."

Axel raised his eyebrows, his expression one of shock. "What?"

"A deal's a deal," Roxas reiterated. A smile came across his features and he squeezed the book tightly. "I owe you my hand in marriage."

"Uh, Roxy, you don't –"

"I want to."

There was a momentary pause between them and then Axel jumped up from the bed and tackled the other roughly to the ground. The book landed somewhere on the floor and Roxas didn't have time to complain about their collision with the ground because Axel was busy attacking his neck with hot kisses and rough nips.

"What… What are you –" Roxas blushed deeply when a roaming hand began fondling his nether region.

"We have to do it."

"We _have_ to?" he asked skeptically as Axel continued his assault.

He paused briefly to look at the other. "I published a book and you want to get married. The only appropriate way to celebrate is to do the Bing-Bing."

Roxas wasn't going to argue with that. He had been wanting Axel like this for a while, probably since before they started dating (though he had had a hard time admitting it), and he was enthused at the idea that they were suddenly going to consummate their relationship. It had been way too long since he had had sex with anyone.

And Axel…

Well, Axel was finally going to be having sex with someone he actually loved.

They were waving goodbye to the past and they were moving on.

••••••••••••••

**It was all **smooth sailing.

Axel's book sold decently well, but, for him, the book had already served its purpose. Riku and Sora, upon returning from their vacation, announced that once Sora was graduated, they were going to move out of the state. Riku was going to open up a bakeshop in New York and Sora, still uncertain of his own future, was just happy to go with the flow. Plus, he had never really liked their state. It sort of held some pretty unpleasant memories.

Naminé, thanks to Axel's book, was offered a position illustrating children's books for a publishing company in California. And Kairi had decided that her father, who was getting on in his years, needed someone to help him with his business. Once she graduated, she was planning on going back home and serving her purpose as the heir to the throne, so to speak.

As for Roxas…

He and Axel married on December 31st, 2011. It was an impromptu wedding that took place in the park where Zexion had destroyed Axel's fables. It was snowing and it was cold, but Axel and Roxas couldn't have cared less. They read their vows, they exchanged rings, and then they exchanged the most meaningful kiss they would ever experience.

After it was all said and done, Axel pressed his lips to Roxas' ear and mumbled, "And they lived happily ever after."

And they did.

* * *

**A/N: **THE END!

I hope you all enjoyed it. I know it was rushed at the first half of the story, but then it slowed down some toward the end. I decided to NOT post a lemon scene because this story, while full of dramatic heartbreak, was more or less a romantic comedy. I felt the sex scene was a wee bit out of place. Maybe I'll post a one-shot, at some point, with what happened between them, but who knows?

So… There it is. The first chapter story I've ever finished and I must say it feels pretty good, but also a little sad. I was thinking about doing a semi-rewrite with my own set of original characters since I have the plotline laid out. It would give me a chance to fix some of the plot holes, change a few things I didn't like about this, and attempt to market it outside the world of fanfiction.

Or not. Who knows? This took me so fucking long to write.

So, this is pretty important: **Thank you so much for all the support and love. Thank you for favoriting, reviewing, alerting, and offering your general analysis and opinion of the story. Thank you for giving me the courage to continue this even though I would sometimes look back over and go, "FUCK. This story needs help." Thank you to EVERYONE who followed this story from chapter one to fourteen and thank you to everyone who spread this story around. Thank you for sticking with the story (and me) even though this contained a shit load of heartache and a shit ton of words. Thank you, thank you, thank you – without the readers, fanfiction is pretty damn boring (and a wee bit useless). You guys have been really super-duper fantastic and I appreciate all of you deeply for sticking with this.**

And, of course, thank you **Aindel S. Druida **who edits her ass off for my terribly long stories. She is a fantastic beta, friend, and super hilarious. She's also very honest and blunt which is nice because I hate indirect, wishy-washy shit. So… You know, give her profile a gander and if you need a beta, ask her! She's pretty damn spectacular.

Okay, well… A new A/R story should be out soon. **Remember to vote at the poll, folks, because whatever gets the most votes is what will be written next. **Thanks again for everything and I hope all of you walk away with something from this. It's been a long fucking journey and I'm a little glad it's over. Thanks again, you guys, for all the cool shit you do.

**Thanks for sticking with me:**

**Dearlybelovedangel: **Sora did get majorly fucked over throughout this whole story. But that's how life is sometimes. Good people get fucked over by others and then they go back and hope it all can work out. That's just how it happens. And yea, Roxas was very whiny. But I think it makes him much more realistic. He did what his mother said, but regardless of that, he _still_ did what he did. It does weigh on his conscious and that's why he acts the way he does. Riku _definitely_ deserved to be hit and the happy ending was more for Axel than Roxas.

**IchiakiI: **Yea, I try and give readers a rough run-down of what happened last time so they aren't like, "Wait, what?" when reading (it breaks up the story's flow). My initials are decent, I suppose. I had a friend whose initials were PMS (he was a boy and it was very funny). As for my fiasco with the flash drive, I've learned to start saving files on my computer, too. I just hate having to copy and paste. Oh! And I did pick up another job. Huzzah!

**NarutoAddicted95: **Thanks. I hope this was everything you wanted it to be.

**Mikinori: **But it's good you didn't find it earlier! Because then you would've been like everyone else: waiting for an update and then having to go back and reread the last chapter to remember what happened. Glad you liked it!

**FlamingIceWolfGirl: **Thanks. I do try really hard to make everything flow well and tie everything up in the end. I hope this last chapter closed the story in a satisfactory way.

**Twisted-Virus: **That last chapter was probably the most fun to write. I really liked playing with all the characters and having all the different scenes going on. It's considerably harder to write when there's a significant lack of action. I'm really glad you liked this so much. I hope it all wrapped up well!

**t.y.u.i.t.y.u.i.: **I wanted to know why you only wrote FAN on every review. So I stalked your profile and I think you're pretty cool.

**Bbb136: **I love Leon/Cloud… I have a couple of one-shot ideas for them, but I just don't have time to manage all my stories. I meant to put out a story for 8/13 and 8/7. None of that happened (unsurprisingly). Thanks! I always feel like my writing isn't that different from everyone else's writing, but I don't know. I'm not very good at judging myself because I'm either too nice or too critical. And thanks, haha. I'll keep that in mind.

**ShinigamiWanabe: **I do know what you mean. Writing these chapters has been difficult because of all the heartache going on. I'm actually glad it's over, I think. Thanks so much for reading it through. I hope the end turned out well.

**Miyuki-ice-fox: **I kind of suck ass at writing Sephiroth so I just don't. I know the character Ansem a little better (not really) and he sort of looks like Riku. They've got the same hair, anyway, and a freakish eye color, so… You know… Yes, the fables fell, but Axel made up for it! I wouldn't let the story end like that. Everyone gets (got) a happy ending.

**Mysstik Quill: **Hahahaha. That's quite intense, but I completely understand. I knew readers were going to be perturbed by the fables being destroyed. But Zexion and Demyx had a roll in this story all along and I think they filled their role well.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Yea, that's the problems with endings. This chapter probably seems SUPER quick, but, well… When things are good, time seems to move 100x faster. And Demyx's behavior is very human, I think. People never fucking know what they want and they try to act on what they think they want. It never ends well. And soon is… erm… well… Soon. I'm not really sure. I want to get it out fairly soon, but I'm starting a second job and I'm sure I can (or want) to commit myself to two stories, two jobs, and school. But we'll see. Hopefully the new story will be out before Thanksgiving (or maybe slightly after).

**Optimistic Dreamer: **Noooo. Not perfect or brilliant. I just stumbled upon this writing shit and am apparently good at it. To be honest, until I published this story, I figured I was a pretty average writer. Let's be honest, though, I'm not Steinbeck or Hemmingway. I'm glad you like this story so much and I'm glad you think so highly of me. It makes me feel a little giddy when people stroke my ego.

**PumpkinLenses: **Haha. Yea, maybe my A/N was a little over the top, but I didn't want readers to be disappointed about what they thought was the ending. But yea, this is DEFINITELY the end of the story. You can tell by the handy, "and they lived happily ever after."

**RainbowNinjaD: **Of course they were going to end up together! It would be so poopy if they didn't! The real question was whether or not they would get married (and if Axel could publish a book). But I always write them together. It's too weird to write them apart.

**Sana-chan9: **Not at all. My sister says that all the time. I figured that was something she made up. And yes! Zexion is a total prick. But, you know, this is mirroring real life (sort of). People act like total assholes and do shit for love even though it makes everything 10000000 times worse. Life is one big fuck. And I do love Eli and Clare. I don't keep up with the show well enough to know what's going on now, but I know they broke up and that does make me sad. They were so cute together. How's your relationship? Thriving, I bet.

**Miggery: **Whoa! Thank you so much. I'm not that talented. I just… I dunno. I have good days and bad days. And I think maybe I need to hunt around fanfiction more because I honestly do feel like how I write isn't so different from everyone else. Sorry to make you cry and rage and cycle quickly through any other emotions. That seems rather dangerous for your health. I hope this last chapter was up to par and fulfilled your expectations.

**Iced Perfection: **Hahahaha. I saw this at first and I was like, "AWSDDTRGHDNHT" and then I saw the "kidding" and I was like, "… good." Yea, I like to write suspense sometimes. I had that scene planned out in my heads since the day this story started. I'm glad it all actually got to work out that way. And I'm sorry to say that there was no lemon scene. This story just… didn't seem to fit right with it. But, you know, I'm sure I'll post some smut between them soon. I do enjoy the smut.

**BooIsBaffled: **Haha, thanks. That's a serious compliment considering that Axel/Roxas is a super-duper-mega popular pairing for people to write about. And nooo, Nami's photo wasn't in the notebook (which was good). As for Demyx, yea. He was ticked. I can see him being upset. But you'd really have to push it with him. Like prod him in the rib cage until his lungs cave in or something. He's happy and smiley a lot, but he's still human. I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!

**Sunny side of cookies: **Nah. I think people are often aroused by occasional caveman-ish behavior. I had a protective boyfriend once and it was hot until he crossed the 'protective' line and wandered into the 'crazy' territory. Axel would kick some ass for Roxas, provided Roxas didn't deserve whatever happened to him. And yea, Tidus does whine too much. It drives me up the fucking wall.

**: **Yea, I'm with you. If I had spent the better part of a year writing a shitload of different fables, I'd have to knock some skulls together if they were destroyed. Axel was pretty tame, I think, but only because I just can't see him flipping out for too long. That, and Demyx put him down before he ever really got up. I'm glad you still like this story. I know sometimes these things fall apart at the end, but goddamn, I tried to keep it together.

**Mochiusagi: **I took your advice. I agree with you. It would have been weird to slap a lemon in the middle of the story. It's pretty mild and sweet and just placing a huge smut scene would have been so… odd. So out of place. But I know some people will be disappointed. However, there's plenty of smut in the fanfiction sea and I'm sure, eventually, I'll let something out in to the water.

**I made Nutella: **Whoa. Thank you so much! I'm not gonna lie, a lot of fanfiction is total shit. I'm really pleased my stories appeared to you before you decided to tell fanfiction to fuck off for good. It's not all bad! You just have to dig real deep to find the gold.

**StarzXAndXMoon: **Review as infrequent or frequent as you see fit. What matters to me is that you take the time out, at least once, to say what you don't like or don't like. And you're right. There ARE some OOCness parts, but I've learned to kind of corral the characters a bit so they're less OOC.  
The idea for the story came from Aesop. I really wanted to try writing a chapter story for ffnet and I couldn't think of a good idea. So I was dicking around on the internet, started reading about Aesop, and I got this idea. It was a LOT different in the rough draft, but, whatever. Shit changes and that's life. Thanks for taking time to review and thanks for sticking with this!

**Jeglikerkuken: **If all _people_ were like that, life would be pretty mundane and boring. No one wants to be honest with anyone and everyone wants to be indirect motherfuckers. But, you're right. If everyone just popped a squat and took out the time to speak to each other, all this shit would be solved instantly. And I wouldn't be able to squeeze out 10k worth of words for 14 chapters. So… hooray for dramatic bullshit? Or something like that.

**Iodelco: **Die? Hahaha, fuck no! This is real life, not _Days of Our Lives _or whatever shit. I wouldn't be killing anyone off unless it's a one-shot (in which case, let the death toll rise). I didn't even know fics like that existed (it seems trite). To be honest, I actually DO write Sora and Riku exactly the way you described them. I want so badly to write a R/S story, but I'm so stuck for ideas because it's hard for me to write them NOT together (without making Riku look like a total dick). I think I'll stick to Zexion/Demyx and Axel/Roxas. And thanks for the web gummy bear. It was delicious.

**Asuragetsfalconpunched: **Oh man, 11? I'm corrupting you. You shouldn't know what docking is. I knew all sorts of horrible shit at 11, but I'm Russian and being/knowing/doing/using horrible things is just part of who we are. Don't tell your parents about me. God forbid they know where you learned 'docking.' On the upside of this, you're obviously a really smart 11 year old. I don't know any middle school aged kids who read anything at all much less comprehend what they do read. Also, I'm a guy.

**Alstarryn: **That's good. I was worried that chapter seemed… too tidy-tidy at the end. I still think this extra chapter was needed to tie up the loose ends, but I'm glad it could've ended there and someone would've walked away happy.  
Yea, it was. But Ansem isn't the kind of guy to fist fight with his son in public. And he never physically abused Riku, so… You know, he's all about the emotional mindfuck (which he is an expert at).  
Right! That's what I was going for. A sort of, "Out with the old, in with the new." As his fables are destroyed, everyone is getting closure. They're putting the past behind them and moving forward. I'm so glad the symbolism got through here. This makes me happy. I hope this wrapped up in a positive way and I'm so glad you stuck with this until the end.

**And that's all he wrote. Thanks for everything.**


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